Quote of the day: Jane Goodall on impact and advocacy- ‘What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide…’

Quote of the day by Jane Goodall

"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." This simple yet inspiring quote by Goodall sheds light on the value of every action that a person takes. No matter how small the action may seem, it tends to leave a mark on the world.

Meaning of the quote

The quote means that it is up to us what kind of difference we would like to make in the world. Every action that we take tends to leave an impact on the world. Right from the way we speak to the choices we make, and even the things we choose to ignore, all of it shapes the reality around us. While it is easy to think that only grand gestures matter, often, it is the quiet, consistent efforts that create lasting change.

Why does this quote resonate?

The quote resonates strongly today because it guides us on what kind of impact we want to make on the world. Do we wish to become someone who only focuses on the negative and is unkind to others, thereby making other people bitter as well, or do we wish to be kind and helpful, making people realise the value of goodness and kindness, something which they can reciprocate? We live in a digitised world, where everyone seems to be just a click away and where everyone seems to have an opinion about everything. This can sometimes make social media or the online world a toxic place, since many people are often subjected to hate and trolling. The onus then falls on us to decide whether we wish to reciprocate this toxicity to someone who does not deserve it, or whether we wish to show them a good and kind side of the internet, where people can stand up for each other and act as a community.

How can you implement this?

Start your day with intent: Ask yourself, What kind of difference do I want to make today? Even a simple goal like “be patient” or “help one person” sets direction.

Who was Jane Goodall?

Born on April 3, 1934, in London, Goodall was a British ethologist, widely known for her exceptionally detailed and long-term research on the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. From an early age, Goodall was interested in animal behaviour. She left school when she was 18 years old and then worked as a secretary and a film production assistant until she gained passage to Africa. Once she reached Tanzania, Goodall began assisting paleontologist and anthropologist Louis Leakey. Her association with Leakey eventually led to her establishment, in June 1960, of a camp in the Gombe Stream Game Reserve (now a national park) so that she could observe the behaviour of chimpanzees in the region. In 1964, she married a Dutch photographer, Baron Hugo van Lawick, who had been sent in 1962 to Tanzania to film her work; the couple had a son in 1967 and later divorced.

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