--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody contributes something to the…" description: "\"Everybody contributes something to the system, and everybody suffers from the system.\" — Yiyun Li" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg" --- # Everybody contributes something to the system, and… ![“Everybody contributes something to the system, and everybody suffers from the system.” quote by Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg) > “Everybody contributes something to the system, and everybody suffers from the system.” [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that all participants both add to and are harmed by the structures they inhabit. **In simple terms:** Everyone both gives to and is hurt by the system. Key Takeaway Recognize shared impact and seek reform. Themes interdependence responsibility systems social justice Mood reflective critical Type sociopolitical analytical When to use this quote - public policy - community organizing - workplace culture - environmental governance Key Concepts collective action power dynamics structural inequality Questions to Reflect On - How does your role shape the system? - What can be done to reduce collective suffering? A Different Perspective It may overlook individual agency and the possibility of positive change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contributes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributes/) [Contributes Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributes-everybody-528873/) [Everybody Contributes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-contributes-528872/) [Everybody Suffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-suffers-257706/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffers/) ## Related quotes > [“When everybody contributes a change to what he or she notices, it is then we will change our world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-everybody-contributes-a-change-to-what-he-or-she-notices-it-is/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [When a sketch comes into this three-dimensional form and everybody contributes, it's really fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-costa/when-a-sketch-comes-into-this-three-dimensional-form-and-everybody/) [Francisco Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-costa/) > [The main thing is to explain to yourself that everybody suffers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/the-main-thing-is-to-explain-to-yourself-that-everybody-suffers/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [Everybody contributes to reggae differently and I will offer as many positive messages to the youth as I can. I only hope that other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/everybody-contributes-to-reggae-differently-and-i-will-offer-as-many/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [We have to see that we're a part of each other, and we have to take care of each other. The reason why they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/we-have-to-see-that-we-re-a-part-of-each-other-and-we-have-to-take/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [“Everybody suffers in life, get diseases, lose their loved ones and finally die, maybe this will satisfy hateful people...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-tafli/everybody-suffers-in-life-get-diseases-lose-their-loved-ones-and/) [Mehmet Tafli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-tafli/) > [I can't stand when people use drugs as an escape. It's like, everybody suffers. Deal with your issues, you'll feel so much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/i-can-t-stand-when-people-use-drugs-as-an-escape-it-s-like-everybody/) [Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/) > [“Where there is an unreconciled quarrel, everybody suffers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/where-there-is-an-unreconciled-quarrel-everybody-suffers/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I remind myself that my pain is not unique. Everybody suffers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-remind-myself-that-my-pain-is-not-unique-everybody-suffers/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Everybody suffers through some type of adversity. Does it make you stronger or does it pull you down? 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It is a joy to be an artist, but it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/this-has-been-my-life-for-many-years-one-role-feeds-the-other-it-is-a/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Surrounded by all the members of my dear family, enjoying the affection of numerous friends, who have never abandoned me, and possessing a sufficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/surrounded-by-all-the-members-of-my-dear-family-enjoying-the/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-have-their-worth-and-each-contributes-to-the-worth-of-the-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Yiyun Li > [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [One easy mistake to make with the first novel is to expand the short story. Some things are better as a story; you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/one-easy-mistake-to-make-with-the-first-novel-is-to-expand-the-short/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [“sometimes Moran wondered if her chief merit was her willingness to serve as a human receptacle for details. Sympathy and admiration and surprise she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/sometimes-moran-wondered-if-her-chief-merit-was-her-willingness-to/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [I always tell my students to go back after a hundred pages and rewrite from the beginning. It's really harder if you've already finished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-always-tell-my-students-to-go-back-after-a-hundred-pages-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [She wonders if this is what people call falling in love, the desire to be with someone for every minute of the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/she-wonders-if-this-is-what-people-call-falling-in-love-the-desire-to/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [Some people in China don't look at freedom of speech as an abstract ideal, but more as a means to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/some-people-in-china-don-t-look-at-freedom-of-speech-as-an-abstract/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [I would never describe a cloud as 'fluffy'—in Chinese or in English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-would-never-describe-a-cloud-as-fluffy-in-chinese-or-in-english/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [“It saddened her that Luo insisted on holding on to her as if they had started to share some vital organs during their twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/it-saddened-her-that-luo-insisted-on-holding-on-to-her-as-if-they-had/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [To write about a struggle amidst the struggling: one must hope that the muddling will end someday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/to-write-about-a-struggle-amidst-the-struggling-one-must-hope-that/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [I think our eyes are trained to look for what we want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-think-our-eyes-are-trained-to-look-for-what-we-want-to-see/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [What is revolution except a systematic way for one species to eat another alive?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/what-is-revolution-except-a-systematic-way-for-one-species-to-eat/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [“His mother had always been a headstrong woman, and with her grayish-white mane and unsmiling face, she appeared as regal and intimidating as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/his-mother-had-always-been-a-headstrong-woman-and-with-her-grayish/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [In China, your freedom is always limited, but this limitation applies to almost everyone. 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He will be forgotten by the crowd once his blood is rinsed clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/the-boy-will-remain-a-son-and-never-become-a-father-he-will-be/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [You can write about a country without taking a stand, but you cannot write about a country without noting that there's history, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/you-can-write-about-a-country-without-taking-a-stand-but-you-cannot/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) [Explore all 54 Yiyun Li quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) ## More Contributes quotes > [All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-have-their-worth-and-each-contributes-to-the-worth-of-the-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Surrounded by all the members of my dear family, enjoying the affection of numerous friends, who have never abandoned me, and possessing a sufficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/surrounded-by-all-the-members-of-my-dear-family-enjoying-the/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [This has been my life for many years; one role feeds the other. It is a joy to be an artist, but it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/this-has-been-my-life-for-many-years-one-role-feeds-the-other-it-is-a/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Anything you're good at contributes to happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/anything-you-re-good-at-contributes-to-happiness/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think everything contributes to your creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gulman/i-think-everything-contributes-to-your-creativity/) [Gary Gulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gulman/) > [Research conducted throughout the world shows gender balance in top positions contributes to improved competitiveness and better business performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/research-conducted-throughout-the-world-shows-gender-balance-in-top/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [I am a believer in Adam Smith, who says that if you look at something that really contributes value to society, and you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cheriton/i-am-a-believer-in-adam-smith-who-says-that-if-you-look-at-something/) [David Cheriton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cheriton/) > [All of Britain's aid is spent in Britain's national interests, and some of it contributes to Britain's national security as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mitchell/all-of-britain-s-aid-is-spent-in-britain-s-national-interests-and/) [Andrew Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mitchell/) > [Ever since childhood, I've been interested in history and myth. Not just the facts and figures of the past, but everything that contributes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/ever-since-childhood-i-ve-been-interested-in-history-and-myth-not/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [“All you need to do is make a list of what your partner contributes before you estimate your own contribution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/all-you-need-to-do-is-make-a-list-of-what-your-partner-contributes/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [One of the things I'm adamant about as a bandleader is not micromanaging. I'm an advocate for the concept of allowing everyone to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/one-of-the-things-i-m-adamant-about-as-a-bandleader-is-not/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [One of my most important 'Secrets of Adulthood': Outer order contributes to inner calm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-of-my-most-important-secrets-of-adulthood-outer-order-contributes/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [When a sketch comes into this three-dimensional form and everybody contributes, it's really fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-costa/when-a-sketch-comes-into-this-three-dimensional-form-and-everybody/) [Francisco Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-costa/) > [The growth that we want is one that brings real benefits to the people, raises quality and efficiency of development, and contributes to energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/the-growth-that-we-want-is-one-that-brings-real-benefits-to-the/) [Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/) > [“When everybody contributes a change to what he or she notices, it is then we will change our world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-everybody-contributes-a-change-to-what-he-or-she-notices-it-is/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) [Browse all 34 Contributes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody contributes something to the system, and everybody suffers from the system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yiyun Li" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/everybody-contributes-something-to-the-system-and-everybody-suffers/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contributes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/everybody-contributes-something-to-the-system-and-everybody-suffers/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/yiyun-li-12305_contributes_everybody-contributes-something-to-the-s_2446000.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody contributes something to the system, and everybody suffers from the system.” — Yiyun Li", "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": "Yiyun Li", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody contributes something to the system,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/everybody-contributes-something-to-the-system-and-everybody-suffers/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/everybody-contributes-something-to-the-system-and-everybody-suffers/#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 } } ] } ```