--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must overcome our cultural barriers…" description: "\"We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should be a private and silent activity.\" — Rohini Nilekani" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg" --- # We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should… ![“We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should be a private and silent activity.” quote by Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg) > “We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should be a private and silent activity.” [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We should shift from secretive giving to open, collaborative philanthropy to break cultural norms. **In simple terms:** Give openly, not in silence. Key Takeaway Promote transparent generosity. Themes philanthropy culture collaboration Mood inspirational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - nonprofit fundraising - community projects - corporate CSR - personal donations Key Concepts social norms public good Questions to Reflect On - How does public giving affect donor motivation? - What cultural shifts enable open philanthropy? A Different Perspective Some may fear scrutiny or loss of privacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cultural barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-barriers/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ## Related quotes > [There is no more staunch advocate for taking public dollars and giving them to private schools - private schools that can pick the students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-sanchez/there-is-no-more-staunch-advocate-for-taking-public-dollars-and/) [Claudio Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-sanchez/) > [“People who struggle with kaizen do so not because the steps are hard but because they are easy. They can’t overcome the cultural training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maurer/people-who-struggle-with-kaizen-do-so-not-because-the-steps-are-hard/) Robert Maurer > [To overcome cultural resistance I think it's important to start with strong analysis, so you're sure that you're right about what needs changing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-badaracco/to-overcome-cultural-resistance-i-think-it-s-important-to-start-with/) [Joseph Badaracco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-badaracco/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [Given the cultural barriers to intersex conversation, the amazing thing is that we would even expect women and men to have anything to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/given-the-cultural-barriers-to-intersex-conversation-the-amazing-2/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Most countries want to bring their people together and tear down physical, commercial and cultural barriers. Anyone who proposes separating them is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-aguilar/most-countries-want-to-bring-their-people-together-and-tear-down/) Ruben Aguilar > [“...cultural barriers can be overcome relatively swiftly where there is the political will to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-wudunn/cultural-barriers-can-be-overcome-relatively-swiftly-where-there-is/) [Sheryl WuDunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-wudunn/) > [“Love does not have gender. Love is not exclusive! Our hearts have the capacity to love so many people. The only tragedy is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-scrieva/love-does-not-have-gender-love-is-not-exclusive-our-hearts-have-the/) [Nadia Scrieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-scrieva/) > [As we grow in our consciousness.. there will be more compassion and more love. And then... the barriers between people.. between religions.. and between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/as-we-grow-in-our-consciousness-there-will-be-more-compassion-and/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Given the cultural barriers to intersex conversation, the amazing thing is that we would even expect women and men to have anything to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/given-the-cultural-barriers-to-intersex-conversation-the-amazing/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [It's not easy, especially in our politically polarized world, to recognize both the structural and the cultural barriers that so many poor kids face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-s-not-easy-especially-in-our-politically-polarized-world-to/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [The Arts, especially film, transcend all cultural barriers, hopefully offering an avenue where all people can find a common place to meet, understand each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-grant/the-arts-especially-film-transcend-all-cultural-barriers-hopefully/) Carson Grant > [I believe that there are barriers, educational barriers, cultural barriers, societal barriers, that are keeping people from accessing the promise of a vibrant free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-there-are-barriers-educational-barriers-cultural/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [To become truly immortal a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-de-chirico/to-become-truly-immortal-a-work-of-art-must-escape-all-human-limits/) [Giorgio de Chirico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-de-chirico/) > [We have to remember that information sharing is restricted by legal barriers and cultural barriers and by the notion that information is power and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bersin/we-have-to-remember-that-information-sharing-is-restricted-by-legal/) [Alan Bersin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bersin/) ## More by Rohini Nilekani > [I was always clear that I didn't want to just do pure charity. My thinking was definitely about looking at the levers in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/i-was-always-clear-that-i-didn-t-want-to-just-do-pure-charity-my/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [My mission is to put a book in every child's hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/my-mission-is-to-put-a-book-in-every-child-s-hand/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [No single institution or effort can effectively create solutions for societal problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/no-single-institution-or-effort-can-effectively-create-solutions-for/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Addressing governance issues are important because whichever silo you work in, be it education, microfinance, sanitation, food or health, you would eventually hit governance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/addressing-governance-issues-are-important-because-whichever-silo-you/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [As with oil, water exploitation raises an inter-generational debt that will be hard to repay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/as-with-oil-water-exploitation-raises-an-inter-generational-debt-that/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Often, our laws and policies reflect patriarchal biases that can trap men in stereotypes - for example, the idea of guarding the modesty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/often-our-laws-and-policies-reflect-patriarchal-biases-that-can-trap/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [What role can such philanthropy play in a society like ours? For one, philanthropic capital can go where markets will not go and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/what-role-can-such-philanthropy-play-in-a-society-like-ours-for-one/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [It was only in 2001 that I set up a foundation, Arghyam. That was pretty much to learn the ropes of how to give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/it-was-only-in-2001-that-i-set-up-a-foundation-arghyam-that-was/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Indian philanthropy doesn't take enough risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/indian-philanthropy-doesn-t-take-enough-risk/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [History has shown us many times that if the state repressively forces the redistribution of wealth and social justice, it becomes dangerous both for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/history-has-shown-us-many-times-that-if-the-state-repressively-forces/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Everything does not have to be a commodity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/everything-does-not-have-to-be-a-commodity/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [As citizens, we have to co-create good governance, we cannot outsource it and hope to be passively happy consumers. Like everything worth its while,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/as-citizens-we-have-to-co-create-good-governance-we-cannot-outsource/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [It is one thing to obey a government order. It is quite another to succumb to resurrected irrational fears, especially of 'the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/it-is-one-thing-to-obey-a-government-order-it-is-quite-another-to/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [In India, while there are some initiatives working with and for adolescent girls, there are too few state sponsored programmes for adolescent boys, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/in-india-while-there-are-some-initiatives-working-with-and-for/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [The Giving Pledge is not meant to be prescriptive or restrictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/the-giving-pledge-is-not-meant-to-be-prescriptive-or-restrictive/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) [Explore all 100 Rohini Nilekani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) ## More Cultural barriers quotes > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [To become truly immortal a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-de-chirico/to-become-truly-immortal-a-work-of-art-must-escape-all-human-limits/) [Giorgio de Chirico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-de-chirico/) > [I believe that there are barriers, educational barriers, cultural barriers, societal barriers, that are keeping people from accessing the promise of a vibrant free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-there-are-barriers-educational-barriers-cultural/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The Arts, especially film, transcend all cultural barriers, hopefully offering an avenue where all people can find a common place to meet, understand each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-grant/the-arts-especially-film-transcend-all-cultural-barriers-hopefully/) Carson Grant > [It's not easy, especially in our politically polarized world, to recognize both the structural and the cultural barriers that so many poor kids face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-s-not-easy-especially-in-our-politically-polarized-world-to/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Given the cultural barriers to intersex conversation, the amazing thing is that we would even expect women and men to have anything to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/given-the-cultural-barriers-to-intersex-conversation-the-amazing/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [As we grow in our consciousness.. there will be more compassion and more love. And then... the barriers between people.. between religions.. and between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/as-we-grow-in-our-consciousness-there-will-be-more-compassion-and/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“Love does not have gender. Love is not exclusive! Our hearts have the capacity to love so many people. The only tragedy is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-scrieva/love-does-not-have-gender-love-is-not-exclusive-our-hearts-have-the/) [Nadia Scrieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-scrieva/) > [“...cultural barriers can be overcome relatively swiftly where there is the political will to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-wudunn/cultural-barriers-can-be-overcome-relatively-swiftly-where-there-is/) [Sheryl WuDunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-wudunn/) > [Most countries want to bring their people together and tear down physical, commercial and cultural barriers. Anyone who proposes separating them is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-aguilar/most-countries-want-to-bring-their-people-together-and-tear-down/) Ruben Aguilar > [Given the cultural barriers to intersex conversation, the amazing thing is that we would even expect women and men to have anything to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/given-the-cultural-barriers-to-intersex-conversation-the-amazing-2/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [We have to remember that information sharing is restricted by legal barriers and cultural barriers and by the notion that information is power and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bersin/we-have-to-remember-that-information-sharing-is-restricted-by-legal/) [Alan Bersin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bersin/) [Browse all 13 Cultural barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should be a private and silent activity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rohini Nilekani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-that-giving-should-be-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cultural barriers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-that-giving-should-be-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b9/rohini-nilekani-5437_giving_we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-t_2034583.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must overcome our cultural barriers that giving should be a private and silent activity.” — Rohini Nilekani", "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": "Rohini Nilekani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must overcome our cultural barriers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-that-giving-should-be-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/we-must-overcome-our-cultural-barriers-that-giving-should-be-a/#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 } } ] } ```