Acknowledge Quote by Terry Tempest Williams
“The creative process ignites our imagination, and I believe that that same imagination is what will propel us forward with issues of social change. I do think we have to acknowledge that we are a very capitalistic and consumptive nation, and that talk about conservation or issues of sustainability is never going to be popular with the dominant culture because it means checks and balances on an economy that is reserved for the dollar, rather than an economy that honors and respects spiritual resources and the right of all life to participate on the planet, not just our species.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, 2001
Imagination drives social change, but capitalism resists sustainability, favoring profit over spiritual and ecological values.
In simple terms: Imagination fuels change; capitalism blocks sustainability.
Key Takeaway
Use imagination to challenge profit‑driven norms.
Themes
imagination
social change
environmentalism
Mood
hopeful
urgent
Type
activist
philosophical
When to use this quote
- activist planning
- policy advocacy
- community organizing
Key Concepts
economics
spirituality
ecology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can imagination overcome market resistance?
- What role does spirituality play in environmental policy?
A Different Perspective
Economic interests often outweigh ecological concerns.
![“The problem is that those of us sympathetic with the plight of indigenous people view them as quaint and colorful, but somehow reduced to margins of history as the real world [(our world)] moves on We will be known as an era in which we stood by and either actively endorsed or passively accepted…” quote by Wade Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a7e/wade-davis-18196_accepted_the-problem-is-that-those-of-us-sympathe_997081.jpg)
