--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are all given one thing by which our…" description: "\"“We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured, one determination. Mine are the stories which can change or not change the world. It doesn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/sherman-alexie-444_change-the-world_we-are-all-given-one-thing-by-which-our_1360802.png" --- # We are all given one thing by which our lives are… ![“We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured, one determination. Mine are the stories which can change or not change the world. It doesn’t matter which as long as I continue to tell the stories.” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/sherman-alexie-444_change-the-world_we-are-all-given-one-thing-by-which-our_1360802.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/sherman-alexie-444_change-the-world_we-are-all-given-one-thing-by-which-our_1360802.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/sherman-alexie-444_change-the-world_we-are-all-given-one-thing-by-which-our_1360802.png) > ““We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured, one determination. Mine are the stories which can change or not change the world. It doesn’t matter which as long as I continue to tell the stories.”” [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories define our lives; sharing them can affect the world. **In simple terms:** Stories shape lives. Key Takeaway Tell your story. Themes storytelling purpose legacy Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - activism - education - community building - personal healing Key Concepts narrative identity social impact Questions to Reflect On - What story are you still telling? - How can your story influence others? A Different Perspective Not all stories reach an audience or create change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [“Does that change things?” asked the old man. “Maybe Anansi’s just some guy from a story, made up back in Africa in the dawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/does-that-change-things-asked-the-old-man-maybe-anansi-s-just-some/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“People respond to the stories. They tell them themselves. The stories spread, and as people tell them, the stories change the tellers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-respond-to-the-stories-they-tell-them-themselves-the-stories/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Our lives can't be measured by our final years, of this I am sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/our-lives-can-t-be-measured-by-our-final-years-of-this-i-am-sure/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Most civilized lives are measured out with coffee spoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bergen-evans/most-civilized-lives-are-measured-out-with-coffee-spoons/) [Bergen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bergen-evans/) > [Our lives will be measured by what we do for others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/our-lives-will-be-measured-by-what-we-do-for-others/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Our lives are not measured by the mistakes we make, but by the moments we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-johnson/our-lives-are-not-measured-by-the-mistakes-we-make-but-by-the-moments/) [R.S. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-johnson/) > [“This, perhaps, is how lives are measured, a series of abandonments that we hope beyond reason will eventually be reconciled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/this-perhaps-is-how-lives-are-measured-a-series-of-abandonments-that/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [By things so achingly small are lives measured and marred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-gavriel-kay/by-things-so-achingly-small-are-lives-measured-and-marred/) [Guy Gavriel Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-gavriel-kay/) > [“Good and evil have always existed. They always will. It’s only our stories about them that ever change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/good-and-evil-have-always-existed-they-always-will-it-s-only-our/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Stories do not change the world. I've learned that. But perhaps in some secret, subtle way... I mean it's not the world I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-emshwiller/stories-do-not-change-the-world-i-ve-learned-that-but-perhaps-in-some/) [Carol Emshwiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-emshwiller/) > [Stories change people while statistics give them something to argue about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-siegel/stories-change-people-while-statistics-give-them-something-to-argue/) [Bernie Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-siegel/) > [“Stories do not change, only the lives they live in do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-conaway/stories-do-not-change-only-the-lives-they-live-in-do/) [Cameron Conaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-conaway/) > [“Find an excellent quote about "Stories with a Dramatic Arc" by Deb Volberg Search for "the yellow dress" on Youtube tinyurl dot com /…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-volberg/find-an-excellent-quote-about-stories-with-a-dramatic-arc-by-deb/) Deb Volberg > [“All good stories - stories that touch your soul, stories that change your nature, stories that cause you to become a better person from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camron-wright/all-good-stories-stories-that-touch-your-soul-stories-that-change/) [Camron Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camron-wright/) > [Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/fairy-tales-have-always-been-about-getting-through-the-worst-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## More by Sherman Alexie > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) [Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## More Change the world quotes > [If you learn something that changes you, you've made progress. If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanie-lane/if-you-learn-something-that-changes-you-you-ve-made-progress-if-you/) Lanie Lane > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Paul Gray - he believed in my art, and I believed in his music. Together, we decided to change the world, and that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-crahan/paul-gray-he-believed-in-my-art-and-i-believed-in-his-music-together/) [Shawn Crahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-crahan/) > [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“if i am not in the world simply to adapt to it, but rather transform it, and if it is not possible to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-am-not-in-the-world-simply-to-adapt-to-it-but-rather-transform/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [I don't like lyrics to be overbearing. I like them to say something. But I'm not trying to change the world overnight. Something simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-don-t-like-lyrics-to-be-overbearing-i-like-them-to-say-something/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. If they know you and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/larry-kramer-wisely-realized-so-early-on-that-to-change-the-world/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Don't underestimate the power of your vision to change the world. Whether that world is your office, your community, an industry or a global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/don-t-underestimate-the-power-of-your-vision-to-change-the-world/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [“I've been waiting for you a long time, Alina" He said. "You and I are going to change the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-ve-been-waiting-for-you-a-long-time-alina-he-said-you-and-i-are/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-most-important-thing-in-all-human-relationships-is-conversation/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Browse all 2,043 Change the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured, one determination. Mine are the stories which can change or not change the world. 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