--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s the way things should be, and…" description: "\"“There’s the way things should be, and then there’s the way things are. Things will never be the way they should be as long as people keep saying that’..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c46/s-k-s-perry-69678_quote_there-s-the-way-things-should-be-and-the_445356.jpg" --- # There’s the way things should be, and then there’s the way… ![“There’s the way things should be, and then there’s the way things are. Things will never be the way they should be as long as people keep saying that’s just the way things are. If everyone got together and ensured that things were the way they should be, then eventually the way things are would be…” quote by S.K.S. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c46/s-k-s-perry-69678_quote_there-s-the-way-things-should-be-and-the_445356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c46/s-k-s-perry-69678_quote_there-s-the-way-things-should-be-and-the_445356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c46/s-k-s-perry-69678_quote_there-s-the-way-things-should-be-and-the_445356.jpg) > ““There’s the way things should be, and then there’s the way things are. Things will never be the way they should be as long as people keep saying that’s just the way things are. If everyone got together and ensured that things were the way they should be, then eventually the way things are would be the way they should be. Of course, that will never happen. That’s just the way things are.”” [S.K.S. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-k-s-perry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idealism clashes with reality; collective effort may shift norms, yet perfection is unattainable. **In simple terms:** Ideal vs. real; change is hard. Key Takeaway Accept imperfect progress. Themes change idealism reality Mood cautious hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - personal habit change - education reform Key Concepts sociology psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What small steps can move reality toward ideals? - How do you balance hope with practicality? 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"If we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hanauer/you-can-go-back-150-years-and-literally-find-the-same-people-saying/) [Nick Hanauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hanauer/) > [With their mouths, people are always saying,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsae-foster/with-their-mouths-people-are-always-saying/) [Chelsae Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsae-foster/) > [Costume people are always saying they don't have clothes big enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/costume-people-are-always-saying-they-don-t-have-clothes-big-enough/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [“I'm tired of people saying that i can't”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gan-zhi-xin/i-m-tired-of-people-saying-that-i-can-t/) [Gan Zhi Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gan-zhi-xin/) > [People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person-will-say-this-is-the/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I know people are saying they like you. I'm not being insulted or pushed around or anything. People are coming up because they like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-know-people-are-saying-they-like-you-i-m-not-being-insulted-or/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [I'm very confident. Even when I read people saying horrible stuff about my weight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-m-very-confident-even-when-i-read-people-saying-horrible-stuff/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) ## More by S.K.S. Perry > [“We all have our moments of weakness. Even the best of us. Luckily, we have friends who keep us in line. 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I eventually got some nice merchandising checks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-didn-t-make-good-money-on-nightmare-until-part-three-i-eventually/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) [Browse all 892 Eventually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eventually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There’s the way things should be, and then there’s the way things are. Things will never be the way they should be as long as people keep saying that’s just the way things are. If everyone got together and ensured that things were the way they should be, then eventually the way things are would be the way they should be. Of course, that will never happen. That’s just the way things are.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S.K.S. 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