--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a great respect for incremental…" description: "\"I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutiona..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/steve-jobs-307_continuous-improveme_i-have-a-great-respect-for-incremental-i_314302.jpg" --- # I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and… ![“I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don't know why. Because they're harder. They're much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody…” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/steve-jobs-307_continuous-improveme_i-have-a-great-respect-for-incremental-i_314302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/steve-jobs-307_continuous-improveme_i-have-a-great-respect-for-incremental-i_314302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/steve-jobs-307_continuous-improveme_i-have-a-great-respect-for-incremental-i_314302.jpg) > “I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don't know why. Because they're harder. They're much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you've completely failed.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He respects steady progress but is drawn to bold, disruptive change despite its difficulty and emotional strain. **In simple terms:** Loves big change even though it’s hard. Key Takeaway Embrace risk, pursue revolutionary ideas. Themes innovation risk emotional resilience Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - startup leadership - product development - career pivots - personal growth Key Concepts disruption growth mindset leadership Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding? - How can you manage stress during radical change? A Different Perspective Disruption can lead to isolation and burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Continuous improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuous-improvement/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-respect/) [Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder/) [Harder Stressful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-stressful-2975713/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Incremental Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incremental-improvement-427209/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect Incremental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-incremental-2975714/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Revolutionary change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary-change/) [Revolutionary Changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary-changes-1053566/) [Stressful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stressful/) ## Related quotes > [Humanity has experienced many revolutionary changes over the course of history: revolutions in agriculture, in science, industrial production, as well as numerous political revolutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/humanity-has-experienced-many-revolutionary-changes-over-the-course/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Little changes and little choices add up to be revolutionary changes in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/little-changes-and-little-choices-add-up-to-be-revolutionary-changes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you ever can bring about revolutionary changes, two things would be required: young people would have to be involved and you would need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/if-you-ever-can-bring-about-revolutionary-changes-two-things-would-be/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I advocate revolutionary changes...an end to capitalist exploitation, the abolition of racist policies, the eradication of sexism and the elimination of political repression. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/i-advocate-revolutionary-changes-an-end-to-capitalist-exploitation/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [For the greatest revolutionary changes on this earth would not have been thinkable if their motive force, instead of fanatical, yes, hysterical passion, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-the-greatest-revolutionary-changes-on-this-earth-would-not-have/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“The second—incremental improvement—maintains your positioning but fails to create the type of distinction that inspires the passion that results in client loyalty and engagement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mckain/the-second-incremental-improvement-maintains-your-positioning-but/) [Scott McKain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mckain/) > [In terms of my career, it's been a lot of incremental improvement slowly over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-redick/in-terms-of-my-career-it-s-been-a-lot-of-incremental-improvement/) [J. J. Redick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-redick/) > [You got to be careful to not get too comfortable with incremental improvement. I think sometimes you just got to jump off a ledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/you-got-to-be-careful-to-not-get-too-comfortable-with-incremental/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [I'm an advocate of evolutionary, not revolutionary, changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/i-m-an-advocate-of-evolutionary-not-revolutionary-changes/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [“Violent revolution fails because it is not revolutionary enough. It changes the rulers but not the rules, the ends but not the means.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wink/violent-revolution-fails-because-it-is-not-revolutionary-enough-it-2/) [Walter Wink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wink/) > [I believe a lot in gangsta rap, I see in it a lot of positive things as it is. I believe it is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bocafloja/i-believe-a-lot-in-gangsta-rap-i-see-in-it-a-lot-of-positive-things/) [Bocafloja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bocafloja/) > [What I'm trying to do is make music that people relate to, that talks about ideas that are personal but also make that connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-make-music-that-people-relate-to-that-talks/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [We're in a period of revolutionary change. I'm optimistic. One's self changes, and then the world changes. It's going to begin internally, not externally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-esquivel/we-re-in-a-period-of-revolutionary-change-i-m-optimistic-one-s-self/) [Laura Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-esquivel/) > [But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/but-what-do-we-mean-by-the-american-revolution-do-we-mean-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Incrementalism in technology leads to irrelevance; what you need is revolutionary change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-porat/incrementalism-in-technology-leads-to-irrelevance-what-you-need-is/) [Ruth Porat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-porat/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Continuous improvement quotes > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“So much has happened since the first publication of The Six Sigma Way, and it has been rewarding to find that much of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-pande/so-much-has-happened-since-the-first-publication-of-the-six-sigma-way/) [Peter S. Pande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-pande/) > [Continuous Improvement is taking control of how your company's money is being put to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/continuous-improvement-is-taking-control-of-how-your-company-s-money/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Used to the conditions of a capitalistic environment, the average American takes it for granted that every year business makes something new and better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/used-to-the-conditions-of-a-capitalistic-environment-the-average/) [Ludwig Von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [It's a great thing about being a musician; you don't stop until the day you die, you can improve. So it's a wonderful thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/it-s-a-great-thing-about-being-a-musician-you-don-t-stop-until-the/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [One shouldn't seek results from working out, but should strive for continuous improvement through physical fitness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-shouldn-t-seek-results-from-working-out-but-should-strive-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“More important than the actual improvements that individuals contribute, the true value of continuous improvement is in creating an atmosphere of continuous learning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-k-liker/more-important-than-the-actual-improvements-that-individuals/) [Jeffrey K. Liker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-k-liker/) > [Every relationship, every situation is part of a divinely created and highly specific curriculum for your soul growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/every-relationship-every-situation-is-part-of-a-divinely-created-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [It is important for the common good to foster individuality: for only the individual can produce the new ideas which the community needs for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/it-is-important-for-the-common-good-to-foster-individuality-for-only/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Making continuous improvement is the way how IT can improve itself, the business, the interrelation between IT and the business, to get digital ready.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/making-continuous-improvement-is-the-way-how-it-can-improve-itself/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Persons who reach the higher rungs in business management, selling, engineering, religious work, writing, acting, and in every other pursuit get there by following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-schwartz/persons-who-reach-the-higher-rungs-in-business-management-selling/) [David J. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-schwartz/) > [Pause and remember - Every single event in your life, especially the difficult lessons, have made you smarter, stronger, and wiser than you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-young/pause-and-remember-every-single-event-in-your-life-especially-the/) [Jennifer Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-young/) > [The characteristic feature of modern capitalism is mass production of goods destined for consumption by the masses. The result is a tendency towards a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-characteristic-feature-of-modern-capitalism-is-mass-production-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“A continuous improvement culture isn't built a day, it takes a strategy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/a-continuous-improvement-culture-isn-t-built-a-day-it-takes-a-strategy/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Continuous improvement requires systematic evaluation. Continuous improvement requires unfiltered evaluation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/continuous-improvement-requires-systematic-evaluation-continuous/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 77 Continuous improvement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuous-improvement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don't know why. Because they're harder. They're much more stressful emotionally. 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