--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's easier to change what you do than…" description: "\"It's easier to change what you do than people think it is. If you don't change, your field changes around you.\" — Walter Gilbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/walter-gilbert-24058_change_it-s-easier-to-change-what-you-do-than-p_3059346.png" --- # It's easier to change what you do than people think it is… ![“It's easier to change what you do than people think it is. If you don't change, your field changes around you.” quote by Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/walter-gilbert-24058_change_it-s-easier-to-change-what-you-do-than-p_3059346.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/walter-gilbert-24058_change_it-s-easier-to-change-what-you-do-than-p_3059346.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/walter-gilbert-24058_change_it-s-easier-to-change-what-you-do-than-p_3059346.png) > “It's easier to change what you do than people think it is. If you don't change, your field changes around you.” [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing actions is easier than changing thoughts; if you stay static, your environment evolves around you. **In simple terms:** Action change is simpler than mindset change. Key Takeaway Adapt actions to stay relevant. Themes change mindset environment Mood motivational pragmatic Type self‑help professional When to use this quote - coaching - leadership training - personal growth Key Concepts self‑improvement organizational development psychology Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you change today? - How do you influence your environment? A Different Perspective Mindset shifts are challenging but essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Don't change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-change/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [If you want to bring change to any field, beat away at a problem until you solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-dewan/if-you-want-to-bring-change-to-any-field-beat-away-at-a-problem-until/) [Leslie Dewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-dewan/) > [Facebook should change last name field to your favorite actress/actor name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rk26/facebook-should-change-last-name-field-to-your-favorite-actress-actor/) RK26 > [It's easier to change the game than to change the people playing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-de-koven/it-s-easier-to-change-the-game-than-to-change-the-people-playing-it/) Bernie De Koven > [people in great trouble don't change to other people. They only change to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sinclair/people-in-great-trouble-don-t-change-to-other-people-they-only-change/) [May Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sinclair/) > [People don't change under governments. Governments change. People remain the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/people-don-t-change-under-governments-governments-change-people/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Don't change just so people will like you! Like yourself and your relationships will change. There are people who will love you for -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/don-t-change-just-so-people-will-like-you-like-yourself-and-your/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [You don't change people's hearts by making them suffer. You harm yourself as well as them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-douglas-sedgwick/you-don-t-change-people-s-hearts-by-making-them-suffer-you-harm/) Anne Douglas Sedgwick > [Things don't change because people change their minds. They change because they retire or die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crockford/things-don-t-change-because-people-change-their-minds-they-change/) [Douglas Crockford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crockford/) > [Things don't change, people change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/things-don-t-change-people-change/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [People don't get to change things. Things change people once in a while, but people don't change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-block/people-don-t-get-to-change-things-things-change-people-once-in-a/) [Lawrence Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-block/) > [Books don’t change the world, people change the world, books only change people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-quintana/books-don-t-change-the-world-people-change-the-world-books-only/) [Mario Quintana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-quintana/) > [Books don't change people; paragraphs do, Sometimes even sentences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/books-don-t-change-people-paragraphs-do-sometimes-even-sentences/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [If you’re at zero backlog, it’s a whole lot easier to change priorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/if-you-re-at-zero-backlog-it-s-a-whole-lot-easier-to-change-priorities/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Words of Wisdom: it's easier to change a condom than it is to change a diaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-of-wisdom-it-s-easier-to-change-a-condom-than-it-is-to-change-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People can cry much easier than they can change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-can-cry-much-easier-than-they-can-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Walter Gilbert > [Why do we do basic research? To learn about ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/why-do-we-do-basic-research-to-learn-about-ourselves/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Three billion bases of DNA sequence can be put on a single compact disc and one will be able to pull a CD out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/three-billion-bases-of-dna-sequence-can-be-put-on-a-single-compact/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [We know specific genes are turned on in specific cells, but we don't know to what extent this happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/we-know-specific-genes-are-turned-on-in-specific-cells-but-we-don-t/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Early on, it's good to develop the ability to write. Learning to write is a useful exercise, even if what you're writing about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/early-on-it-s-good-to-develop-the-ability-to-write-learning-to-write/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Biology will relate every human gene to the genes of other animals and bacteria, to this great chain of being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/biology-will-relate-every-human-gene-to-the-genes-of-other-animals/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [The community as a whole doesn't listen patiently to critics who adopt alternative viewpoints. Although the great lesson of history is that knowledge develops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-community-as-a-whole-doesn-t-listen-patiently-to-critics-who/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [By asking a novel question that you don't know the answer to, you discover whether you can formulate a way of finding the answer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/by-asking-a-novel-question-that-you-don-t-know-the-answer-to-you/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Today we try to identify a gene and then study its properties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/today-we-try-to-identify-a-gene-and-then-study-its-properties/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [The virtues of science are skepticism and independence of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-virtues-of-science-are-skepticism-and-independence-of-thought/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [The best project is one that asks a novel question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-best-project-is-one-that-asks-a-novel-question/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [I am afraid that those comments go back to the late 80's. At that time I was a skeptic - the argument based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-am-afraid-that-those-comments-go-back-to-the-late-80-s-at-that-time/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Biology will tell you a lot of things, but there are many that it can not explain and you need to look at physics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/biology-will-tell-you-a-lot-of-things-but-there-are-many-that-it-can/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Error is far more common than fraud which probably comprises 1 percent or a tenth of a percent of the literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/error-is-far-more-common-than-fraud-which-probably-comprises-1/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [The interaction of the variation in our genes is what's responsible for lots of our attributes and vigor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-interaction-of-the-variation-in-our-genes-is-what-s-responsible/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Here is a human being; it's me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/here-is-a-human-being-it-s-me/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) [Explore all 25 Walter Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's easier to change what you do than people think it is. 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