--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Give anyone a lever long enough and they…" description: "\"Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the world. It's unreliable levers that are the problem.\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/terry-pratchett-19_change-the-world_give-anyone-a-lever-long-enough-and-they_1972972.jpg" --- # Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the… ![“Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the world. It's unreliable levers that are the problem.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/terry-pratchett-19_change-the-world_give-anyone-a-lever-long-enough-and-they_1972972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/terry-pratchett-19_change-the-world_give-anyone-a-lever-long-enough-and-they_1972972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/terry-pratchett-19_change-the-world_give-anyone-a-lever-long-enough-and-they_1972972.jpg) > “Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the world. It's unreliable levers that are the problem.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leverage can enable great change, but faulty tools undermine success. **In simple terms:** Powerful tools can change things, but bad ones cause problems. Key Takeaway Choose reliable methods for impact. Themes power change tools responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - engineering projects - business strategy - personal development Key Concepts mechanics systems risk management Questions to Reflect On - What tools do you rely on? - How can you ensure they are dependable? A Different Perspective Even strong leverage fails if the tool is unstable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Discworld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discworld/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lever/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Small gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-gods/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-place-to-stand-and-a-lever-long-enough-and-i-will-move-the/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-lever-long-enough-and-a-fulcrum-on-which-to-place-it-and-i-2/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I'll move the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-lever-long-enough-and-a-fulcrum-on-which-to-place-it-and-i/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [Contradiction is the lever of transcendence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/contradiction-is-the-lever-of-transcendence/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [The pen is the lever that moves the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-witt-talmage/the-pen-is-the-lever-that-moves-the-world/) [Thomas De Witt Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-witt-talmage/) > [The mightiest lever known to the world: imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-mightiest-lever-known-to-the-world-imagination/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Give me a lever, and I shall move the world (oh, and I'll also need a world).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king/give-me-a-lever-and-i-shall-move-the-world-oh-and-i-ll-also-need-a/) [John Alejandro King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king/) > [I think politics is the biggest lever of change in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nandan-nilekani/i-think-politics-is-the-biggest-lever-of-change-in-india/) [Nandan Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nandan-nilekani/) > [Mind is the great lever of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/mind-is-the-great-lever-of-all-things/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [A phrase is born into the world both good and bad at the same time. 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I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. 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And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## 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. 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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. 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