If the world is to change for the better it must start with a change in human consciousness, in the very humanness of modern man.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Real improvement comes from changing human consciousness and true humanity, not just political structures.
- In plain terms
- Changing human consciousness is key to a better world.
- What can you take from it?
- Foster inner transformation before expecting societal change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What inner changes are needed for societal progress?
- How can we measure shifts in consciousness?
Another view
Structural reforms can also drive consciousness shifts.
More from Vaclav Havel
As soon as man began considering himself the source of the highest meaning in the world and the measure of everything, the world began to lose its human dimens…
Permalink to quote #25 It's not true that you should first think up an idea for a better world and only then 'put it into practice,' but, rather, through the fact of your existence i…
Permalink to quote #27 When a person tries to act in accordance with his conscience, when he tries to speak the truth, when he tries to behave like a citizen, even in conditions wher…
Permalink to quote #24
Related quotes
What a wonderful thing, to be conscious! I wonder what the people in New Jersey do.
Woody AllenWoody Allen quote #48 Two things in America are astonishing: the changeableness of most human behavior and the strange stability of certain principles. Men are constantly on the mov…
Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville quote #105 I have seen the future, and it looks a lot like the present.
Dan QuisenberryDan Quisenberry quote #1