--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a society where individual…" description: "\"We live in a society where individual effort and progress is valued, and that's absolutely correct and is as it should be. But we also are interdepende..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/vivek-murthy-4508_effort_we-live-in-a-society-where-individual-ef_3233534.jpg" --- # We live in a society where individual effort and progress… ![“We live in a society where individual effort and progress is valued, and that's absolutely correct and is as it should be. But we also are interdependent creatures. We can't succeed solely on our own.” quote by Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/vivek-murthy-4508_effort_we-live-in-a-society-where-individual-ef_3233534.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/vivek-murthy-4508_effort_we-live-in-a-society-where-individual-ef_3233534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/vivek-murthy-4508_effort_we-live-in-a-society-where-individual-ef_3233534.jpg) > “We live in a society where individual effort and progress is valued, and that's absolutely correct and is as it should be. But we also are interdependent creatures. We can't succeed solely on our own.” [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society praises individual effort, yet humans rely on mutual support for true success. **In simple terms:** Individual effort matters but interdependence is essential. Key Takeaway Balance personal drive with collaboration. Themes individualism interdependence collaboration success balance Mood reflective optimistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team projects - community building - family support - workplace cooperation - public health initiatives Key Concepts social ecology human interdepend collective efficacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster collaboration while pursuing personal goals? - What structures support mutual aid? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self-reliance can ignore systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Individual effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-effort/) [Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress Valued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-valued-6127071/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-individual-242935/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) ## Related quotes > [In the Marine Corps there is no individual effort, we're all a big team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-carpenter/in-the-marine-corps-there-is-no-individual-effort-we-re-all-a-big-team/) [Kyle Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-carpenter/) > [It's the individual effort of everybody working together towards a collective goal that causes real, effective change in America and in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hogg/it-s-the-individual-effort-of-everybody-working-together-towards-a/) [David Hogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hogg/) > [A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/a-man-can-be-as-great-as-he-wants-to-be-if-you-believe-in-yourself/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [..where effective competition can be created, it is a better way of guiding individual efforts than any other... regards competition as superior not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/where-effective-competition-can-be-created-it-is-a-better-way-of/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [I see no magic in tax dollars which are sent to Washington and then returned. I abhor the waste and incompetence of large-scale federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/i-see-no-magic-in-tax-dollars-which-are-sent-to-washington-and-then/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Though it is a team game by definition, it is actually a series of loosely connected individual efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/though-it-is-a-team-game-by-definition-it-is-actually-a-series-of/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [Men make opportunity. Every great industrial achievement has been the result of individual effort - the practical development of a dream in the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schwab/men-make-opportunity-every-great-industrial-achievement-has-been-the/) [Charles M. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schwab/) > [From my earliest youth I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the curse of the Irish nation, and felt convinced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theobald-of-bec/from-my-earliest-youth-i-have-regarded-the-connection-between-ireland/) [Theobald of Bec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theobald-of-bec/) > [The true purpose of life is the perfection of humanity through individual effort, under the guidance of God's inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-true-purpose-of-life-is-the-perfection-of-humanity-through/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [The greatest works are done by the ones. The hundreds do not often do much-the companies never; it is the units-the single individuals, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-greatest-works-are-done-by-the-ones-the-hundreds-do-not-often-do/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/teamwork-is-the-ability-to-work-together-toward-a-common-vision/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [Sometimes we feel that one individual's action is very insignificant. Then we think, of course, that effects should come from channeling or from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/sometimes-we-feel-that-one-individual-s-action-is-very-insignificant/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I to the We means that both the individual's effort and the power of the network matter, and they work in tandem. Someone with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-casnocha/i-to-the-we-means-that-both-the-individual-s-effort-and-the-power-of/) [Ben Casnocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-casnocha/) > [Unions are for 'collective bargaining,' not individual bargaining. It follows that most of the achievements of a union, even if they were more impressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mancur-olson/unions-are-for-collective-bargaining-not-individual-bargaining-it/) [Mancur Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mancur-olson/) > [The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual. People who work together will win, whether it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/the-achievements-of-an-organization-are-the-results-of-the-combined/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) ## More by Vivek Murthy > [I think people often forget how powerful they are. Sometimes it just takes one voice to save a life. When we speak up we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/i-think-people-often-forget-how-powerful-they-are-sometimes-it-just/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [We don't do enough to help older people recognize how much they matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/we-don-t-do-enough-to-help-older-people-recognize-how-much-they-matter/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [When I was Surgeon General, I spent a lot of time talking to people in living rooms and town halls all across the country,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-i-was-surgeon-general-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-talking-to-people-in/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [We can experience an erosion of self-esteem when we're lonely, as we come to believe that it's because we're not likable or because something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/we-can-experience-an-erosion-of-self-esteem-when-we-re-lonely-as-we/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Climate change poses a serious, immediate and global threat to health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/climate-change-poses-a-serious-immediate-and-global-threat-to-health/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [I trained in internal medicine, and I expected most of my time would be spent on diabetes or heart disease or cancer. What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/i-trained-in-internal-medicine-and-i-expected-most-of-my-time-would/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [I do not intend to use the Surgeon General's Office as a bully pulpit for gun control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/i-do-not-intend-to-use-the-surgeon-general-s-office-as-a-bully-pulpit/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [We know that chronic loneliness has consequences. It certainly depresses our mood. And in terms of our health, people who struggle with loneliness also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/we-know-that-chronic-loneliness-has-consequences-it-certainly/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Gun violence is a problem that this country should be addressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/gun-violence-is-a-problem-that-this-country-should-be-addressing/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [You can be surrounded by many people but still feel quite lonely if you don't have strong connections and if you feel you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/you-can-be-surrounded-by-many-people-but-still-feel-quite-lonely-if/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [When people tell you that you're less-than and that you don't matter and that you're inferior, you internalize some of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-people-tell-you-that-you-re-less-than-and-that-you-don-t-matter/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Service is a powerful pathway of getting out of loneliness. It takes the focus off of you and puts it onto someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/service-is-a-powerful-pathway-of-getting-out-of-loneliness-it-takes/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain and it's one that we have to treat the way we would any other chronic illness:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/addiction-is-a-chronic-disease-of-the-brain-and-it-s-one-that-we-have/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [A lot of people have misconceptions about what the surgeon general does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/a-lot-of-people-have-misconceptions-about-what-the-surgeon-general/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [I firmly believe that everybody in America needs a safe place to walk or to wheelchair roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/i-firmly-believe-that-everybody-in-america-needs-a-safe-place-to-walk/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) [Explore all 110 Vivek Murthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) ## More Effort quotes > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-love-a-pocket-i-m-about-helping-women-look-as-good-as-possible-on/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) [Dayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayana/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) [Browse all 8,602 Effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We live in a society where individual effort and progress is valued, and that's absolutely correct and is as it should be. But we also are interdependent creatures. 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