Success Quote by Sanjaya Baru
““It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit from the new order. This lukewarmness arises partly from the fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favour; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have the experience of it. Thus it arises that on every opportunity for attacking the reformer, his opponents do so with the zeal of partisans, the others only defend him half-heartedly, so that between them he runs a great danger.””
About This Quote
Source speech: Reform and Resistance, 2015
Initiating change is hardest because entrenched interests resist, while neutral parties offer only lukewarm support.
In simple terms: New ideas face strong opposition and weak support.
Key Takeaway
Build strong allies and anticipate resistance.
Themes
reform
resistance
political change
Mood
determined
critical
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- grassroots movements
- organizational change
Key Concepts
power dynamics
social inertia
Questions to Reflect On
- How can reformers mobilize broader support?
- What strategies counter half‑hearted defenders?
A Different Perspective
Opponents may use misinformation to stall reforms.
![“Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and the screenplay of Simon (Beaufoy) and I was reading it, even before the shoot, some kind of sounds came into my mind and I put some stuff [down] and sent it to…” quote by A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/a-r-rahman-4481_cutting_since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-o_539.jpg)
