“One of the mistakes people make is thinking that it’s all about idealism and wanting to do the right thing and it’s not. People can have the best of motives and come up with projects that leave people worse off. It’s harder to help people than we realize—everything goes wrong, nothing works as expected. Idealism is a wonderful thing to have but it also requires some real understanding of how conditions work, listening to people, experimenting, and being willing to make mistakes.”
Q&A: Nicholas Kristof on D.I.Y. Social Activism - Education - GOOD
You’ll have to read the full article for this statement in context, but it’s a such a true thought when it comes to trying to change things for good. It’s a great article and I’ve come to really enjoy the work of Nicholas Kristof.
