---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But we have to go further than we thought…"
description: "\"“But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's not enough to just sign a signature or click something online. It's not enough to just cast a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg"
---

#  But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's…

![“But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's not enough to just sign a signature or click something online. It's not enough to just cast a vote every four years or to sign a petition every once in a while, or even mail a really big check. You also have to walk the walk. ... It takes a…” quote by Will Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg)

> ““But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's not enough to just sign a signature or click something online. It's not enough to just cast a vote every four years or to sign a petition every once in a while, or even mail a really big check. You also have to walk the walk. ... It takes a lot of courage and humility and selflessness to think about how we're acting ourselves and be the ones who take that first step. If we're not able to recognize our own impact and the choices that we're making in contributing to that \[impact\], we're not going to move that dialogue forward.””

Will Potter

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Action must go beyond symbolic gestures; real change requires courage, humility, and selfless effort to recognize personal impact and start meaningful dialogue.

**In simple terms:** Words alone insufficient; act with humility.

Key Takeaway

Take concrete steps, not just signatures.

Themes

activism courage humility selflessness dialogue impact

Mood

determined urgent empathetic

Type

call to action reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- political engagement
- community organizing
- education
- personal growth
- advocacy

Key Concepts

social change personal responsibility ethical action

Questions to Reflect On

- What first concrete action can you take?
- How can you maintain humility while advocating?

A Different Perspective

Signatures alone may be performative.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [Petition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/petition/)

## Related quotes

> [We put together a one-sentence petition asking Congress to censure President Clinton and move on to other pressing issues. We sent it to under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-blades/we-put-together-a-one-sentence-petition-asking-congress-to-censure/)

[Joan Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-blades/)

> [Each decision - to kill, to sign a petition, to write a letter, to make a speech, to attack, to lie, to surrender -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/each-decision-to-kill-to-sign-a-petition-to-write-a-letter-to-make-a/)

[Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/)

> [You have a signature to sign on earth for the world to see, what you are to do has yet not been done, stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessah-odai-sadick/you-have-a-signature-to-sign-on-earth-for-the-world-to-see-what-you/)

[Sessah-Odai Sadick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessah-odai-sadick/)

> [You are suppose to know that no one can destroy your signature on earth.you have a unique signature that can not be sign by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessah-odai-sadick/you-are-suppose-to-know-that-no-one-can-destroy-your-signature-on/)

[Sessah-Odai Sadick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessah-odai-sadick/)

> [The first step is: accept yourself as you are; drop all shoulds. Don't carry any ought on your heart! You are not to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-first-step-is-accept-yourself-as-you-are-drop-all-shoulds-don-t/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“You don't know with who you are having to deal with... you just sign the contract to die”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/you-don-t-know-with-who-you-are-having-to-deal-with-you-just-sign-the/)

Deyth Banger

> [When the UFC calls me and gives me someone, I never say yes, no or choose someone. I just sign the contract and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/islam-makhachev/when-the-ufc-calls-me-and-gives-me-someone-i-never-say-yes-no-or/)

[Islam Makhachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/islam-makhachev/)

> [“I don't give a damn what you do with your money. Just sign here that you received it and you can get drunk in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stieg-larsson/i-don-t-give-a-damn-what-you-do-with-your-money-just-sign-here-that/)

[Stieg Larsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stieg-larsson/)

> [I was never into law. Even now, I never read contracts. I just sign them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/i-was-never-into-law-even-now-i-never-read-contracts-i-just-sign-them/)

[Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/)

> [A lot of big labels will just sign bands like a write off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rich/a-lot-of-big-labels-will-just-sign-bands-like-a-write-off/)

[Adam Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rich/)

> [Sometimes being jealous is just a sign that you care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-being-jealous-is-just-a-sign-that-you-care/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [All I know is stars and hits, you know what I mean? I don't just sign a guy because he has a hot record.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fat-joe/all-i-know-is-stars-and-hits-you-know-what-i-mean-i-don-t-just-sign-a/)

[Fat Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fat-joe/)

> [I used to just sign papers and not pay no attention to what I'm signing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-used-to-just-sign-papers-and-not-pay-no-attention-to-what-i-m/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I have sold my soul. Just sign right here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zakk-wylde/i-have-sold-my-soul-just-sign-right-here/)

[Zakk Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zakk-wylde/)

> [Don't let me die I'm losing my mind Baby just give me a sign i wanna be with u N\*\*@](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj/don-t-let-me-die-i-m-losing-my-mind-baby-just-give-me-a-sign-i-wanna/)

AJ

## More by Will Potter

> [“Vegans have a way of circling every conversation back to food, much like born-again Christians have a way of returning every conversation to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-potter/vegans-have-a-way-of-circling-every-conversation-back-to-food-much/)

Will Potter

Explore all 2 Will Potter quotes

## More First step quotes

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [“I remember wondering, within a year or two of taking my first steps, why only men sat to drink tea and converse, and why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/i-remember-wondering-within-a-year-or-two-of-taking-my-first-steps/)

[Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/)

> [At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/at-least-before-my-hip-replacement-i-had-a-quick-first-step-i-could/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [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/)

> [“How, then, do you make failure into something people can face without fear? Part of the answer is simple: If we as leaders can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/how-then-do-you-make-failure-into-something-people-can-face-without/)

[Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/)

> [“A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-skillful-literary-artist-has-constructed-a-tale-if-wise-he-has-not/)

[Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/)

> [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/)

[Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/)

> [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/)

[Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/)

> [“What liberty we find when we trade self-esteem for God-esteem, relying on what God’s Word says about us rather than looking solely to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gallier/what-liberty-we-find-when-we-trade-self-esteem-for-god-esteem-relying/)

[Laura Gallier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gallier/)

> [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [Russia may soon get another chance to move closer to the West, to make a step - I do believe the first step toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-voinovich/russia-may-soon-get-another-chance-to-move-closer-to-the-west-to-make/)

[Vladimir Voinovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-voinovich/)

> [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/)

[Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/)

> [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [“So, how do you make value flow? The first step, once value is defined and the entire value stream is identified, is to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-womack/so-how-do-you-make-value-flow-the-first-step-once-value-is-defined/)

[James P. Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-womack/)

> [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/)

[Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

[Browse all 1,815 First step quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's not enough to just sign a signature or click something online. It's not enough to just cast a vote every four years or to sign a petition every once in a while, or even mail a really big check. You also have to walk the walk. ... It takes a lot of courage and humility and selflessness to think about how we're acting ourselves and be the ones who take that first step. If we're not able to recognize our own impact and the choices that we're making in contributing to that [impact], we're not going to move that dialogue forward.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Will Potter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-potter/but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-thought-possible-it-s-not-enough-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "First step"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-potter/but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-thought-possible-it-s-not-enough-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/will-potter-102366_first-step_but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-though_263541.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But we have to go further than we thought possible. It's not enough to just sign a signature or click…” — Will Potter",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Will Potter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-potter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But we have to go further...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-potter/but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-thought-possible-it-s-not-enough-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-potter/but-we-have-to-go-further-than-we-thought-possible-it-s-not-enough-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
