Words

There are many types of revolutions.  History talks mostly of political revolutions, dramatic events that all too often represent little real change over the long term:  The cast of players in power shifts and new political philosophies come into vogue, but when it comes to the daily realities of most people, little changes.  But occasionally something differing happens, a collective awakening to new possibilities that changes everything over time–how people see the world, what they value, how society defines progress and organizes itself, and how institutions operate.  The Renaissance was such a shift, as was the Industrial Revolution.  So, too, is what is starting to happen around the world today.

—The Necessary Revolution:  How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World, Peter Senge, Brian Smith, Nina Kruschwitz, Joe Laur, Sara Schley, 2008