---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if we do not make the journey from…"
description: "\"“if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to concrete situations, then the concrete situations will be lost under a smog of words.”\" — Ro..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg"
---

#  if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to…

![“if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to concrete situations, then the concrete situations will be lost under a smog of words.” quote by Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg)

> ““if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to concrete situations, then the concrete situations will be lost under a smog of words.””

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote warns that without turning ideas into real actions, they become meaningless and lost in empty talk.

**In simple terms:** Ideas need action to matter.

Key Takeaway

Act on ideas promptly.

Themes

action ideas execution

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- project planning
- policy making
- academic research
- business strategy

Key Concepts

practicality communication clarity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure ideas become actions?
- What obstacles stop you from acting?

A Different Perspective

It can be hard to move from theory to practice due to resources or fear.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Concrete Situations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concrete-situations-2996238/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Situations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situations/) [Situations Concrete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situations-concrete-2996240/) [Situations Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situations-lost-2996239/) [Smog Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smog-words-2996241/)

## Related quotes

> [There have been situations where I have lost movies because I've said, 'This is not a fair deal,' and I've walked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/there-have-been-situations-where-i-have-lost-movies-because-i-ve-said/)

[Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/)

> [Liberalism, on the other hand, regards life as an adventure in which we must take risks in new situations, in which there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-raphael-cohen/liberalism-on-the-other-hand-regards-life-as-an-adventure-in-which-we/)

[Morris Raphael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-raphael-cohen/)

> [Basically, what Economic Hit Men are trained to do is to build up the American empire. To create situations where as many resources as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/basically-what-economic-hit-men-are-trained-to-do-is-to-build-up-the/)

[John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/)

> [What I think is funny is when people, despite tragic situations, are still hopeful, still trying. It's sweet and sad - and, to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/what-i-think-is-funny-is-when-people-despite-tragic-situations-are/)

[Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/)

> [There are no problems in the world. There are just situations. Some situations you know how to handle. Some you do not know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/there-are-no-problems-in-the-world-there-are-just-situations-some/)

[Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/)

> [When you're dealing in situations that are uncontrollable and combustible, you try to stabilize the situation as quickly as you can and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/when-you-re-dealing-in-situations-that-are-uncontrollable-and/)

[Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/)

> [I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-have-a-kind-of-magnetic-attraction-to-situations-of-violence/)

[Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/)

> [Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-larson/wisdom-is-the-quality-that-keeps-you-from-getting-into-situations/)

[Doug Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-larson/)

> [“Whenever I am in a difficult situation where there seems to be no way out, I think about all the times I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idowu-koyenikan/whenever-i-am-in-a-difficult-situation-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way/)

[Idowu Koyenikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idowu-koyenikan/)

> [“As long as one is in pursuit of something or the other, it is an endless process. As long as we are getting identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/as-long-as-one-is-in-pursuit-of-something-or-the-other-it-is-an/)

[Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/)

> [“Life is a changing sequence of situations.If you do not change something, something will change you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/life-is-a-changing-sequence-of-situations-if-you-do-not-change/)

[Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/)

> [“A big part of wisdom is to learn which situations to get involved in, or not get involved in – it really is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/a-big-part-of-wisdom-is-to-learn-which-situations-to-get-involved-in/)

[Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/)

> [You can get through very serious and sometimes horrible and sometimes embarrassing and very awkward situations with humor. It gives us a way out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-can-get-through-very-serious-and-sometimes-horrible-and-sometimes/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [Sometimes the calls just don't go your way. You've just got to learn to deal with those situations and try to prevent yourself from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-millsap/sometimes-the-calls-just-don-t-go-your-way-you-ve-just-got-to-learn/)

[Paul Millsap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-millsap/)

> [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/)

[David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/)

## More by Robert E. Coleman

> [“He was “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). God wanted all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/he-was-the-saviour-of-the-world-john-4-42-god-wanted-all-men-to-be/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“Having called his men, Jesus made a practice of being with them. This was the essence of his training program—just letting his disciples follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/having-called-his-men-jesus-made-a-practice-of-being-with-them-this/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“Knowledge was gained by association before it was understood by explanation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/knowledge-was-gained-by-association-before-it-was-understood-by/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“Through their word” he expected others to believe in him ( John 17:20), and these in turn to pass the word along to others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/through-their-word-he-expected-others-to-believe-in-him-john-17-20/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“One living sermon is worth a hundred explanations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/one-living-sermon-is-worth-a-hundred-explanations/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“It is good to tell people what we mean, but it is infinitely better to show them. People are looking for a demonstration, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/it-is-good-to-tell-people-what-we-mean-but-it-is-infinitely-better-to/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“Jesus did not have the time nor the desire to scatter himself on those who wanted to make their own terms of discipleship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/jesus-did-not-have-the-time-nor-the-desire-to-scatter-himself-on/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

> [“Jesus did not urge his disciples to commit their lives to a doctrine, but to a person who was the doctrine, and only as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/jesus-did-not-urge-his-disciples-to-commit-their-lives-to-a-doctrine/)

[Robert E. Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

[Explore all 9 Robert E. Coleman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/)

## More Language quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

[TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/)

[Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/)

[Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

[Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to concrete situations, then the concrete situations will be lost under a smog of words.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert E. Coleman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theories-and-ideals-to-concrete/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theories-and-ideals-to-concrete/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/robert-e-coleman-44786_language_if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theor_2736658.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“if we do not make the journey from theories and ideals to concrete situations, then the concrete situations…” — Robert E. Coleman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert E. Coleman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-coleman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“if we do not make the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theories-and-ideals-to-concrete/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-coleman/if-we-do-not-make-the-journey-from-theories-and-ideals-to-concrete/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
