Joan Blades Quotes

Powerful Joan Blades for Daily Growth

About Joan Blades

Joan Blades is an American political activist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the influential grassroots organizations MomsRising and MoveOn.org. Born on March 15, 1957, in New York City to activist parents, she was immersed in a culture that valued social change from an early age. Blades began her career as a screenwriter and producer in Hollywood, working on popular television shows like 'St. Elsewhere' and 'The West Wing.' However, the events of September 11, 2001, prompted Blades to reconsider her priorities and focus on political activism. In 2004, Blades co-founded MoveOn.org, an online community dedicated to progressive politics that became a powerful force in American politics during the George W. Bush era. The organization was instrumental in organizing protests against the Iraq War, mobilizing voters for Democratic candidates, and fundraising for political campaigns. In 2006, Blades co-founded MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million moms and parents working to improve family economic security, children's health, and education, and expand family leave, affordable child care, and paid sick days. Throughout her career, Blades has been recognized for her contributions to American politics. In 2018, she was named one of the "50 Women Who Are Changing The World" by Good Housekeeping magazine. Her activism and entrepreneurship continue to inspire a new generation of political activists. Blades' life story is a testament to the power of individuals to make a difference in their communities and beyond, using both online organizing and traditional grassroots activism. She continues to advocate for progressive causes, demonstrating that one person can indeed make a difference.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We have to be brave about reaching across the aisle because it is the only way we can heal our country."

This quote emphasizes the need for bipartisanship and cooperation, suggesting that the political divide in the U.S. can only be bridged through courageous dialogue between opposing parties (reaching across the aisle). The author implies that this approach is essential to healing and uniting the nation.


"The more we try to please everyone, the less effective we are at bringing people together."

This quote emphasizes that a pursuit of universal agreement or satisfaction can hinder unity. It suggests that striving for perfection in pleasing everyone often leads to dilution of purpose or ineffectiveness, as it's unrealistic and impractical to meet the expectations of all parties involved. Instead, focusing on shared values and common ground can be more effective in bridging gaps and fostering true unity.


"I believe that when we join with others who share our values, we become stronger and make a bigger impact in the world."

This quote underscores the power of unity and shared values in making meaningful change. By joining forces with others who hold similar beliefs and principles, one can amplify their own strength and effect greater influence on the world. It emphasizes that collective action rooted in common values is a potent tool for creating positive impact and driving progress.


"It's not about changing the other person's mind or winning an argument; it's about finding common ground."

Joan Blades' quote underscores the importance of understanding that productive dialogue is less about convincing others to adopt our views, and more about discovering shared values and mutual interests. It emphasizes the significance of collaboration and empathy in building relationships and resolving conflicts, rather than merely focusing on proving one's argument as superior. Finding common ground with others encourages open-mindedness, understanding, and ultimately, fosters unity and progress.


"If we can learn to listen more than talk and really hear what others are saying, we might just find that we share more similarities than differences."

This quote emphasizes the importance of active listening and empathy in fostering understanding between people who may appear different or have contrasting views. By genuinely hearing and valuing each other's perspectives, we can discover common ground and build connections that transcend our differences. Effective communication is not just about speaking, but also about truly understanding the ideas and feelings of others. This approach encourages mutual respect, cooperation, and a more harmonious coexistence among individuals and communities.


We put together a one-sentence petition asking Congress to censure President Clinton and move on to other pressing issues. We sent it to under 100 friends and family, and within a week we had 100,000 people sign the petition.

- Joan Blades

Week, Asking, Other, Censure

We've got 50 percent voter turnout for presidential elections. That's appalling. We can do so much better.

- Joan Blades

Percent, Elections, Got, Turnout

Moveon is not a one-way broadcast media. The Internet, when used best, is a two-way media. We have a forum in which people can post comments and those comments can be rated. We get a sense of what people feel most passionately about.

- Joan Blades

Comments, Broadcast, Which, Two-Way

What is the biggest public forum in the United States? We were told it's the Super Bowl. The ad shows kids working at blue-collar jobs, and the final statement is just written text: Who's going to pay for the trillion dollar deficit?

- Joan Blades

Bowl, United, States, Public Forum

Common sense as well as common values all lead us. Our future depends upon it and our present is going to be vastly better when we get back to these basics.

- Joan Blades

Basics, Depends, Going, Vastly

Most families need both parents to work. Moms need to be able to work and earn fair pay and have the flexibility in their jobs to also be primary caretakers.

- Joan Blades

Work, Need, Jobs, Primary

It is time for us to focus on the issues that bring us together as a nation. Supporting parents' capacity to raise their children with the love and resources they need is simply the right thing to do.

- Joan Blades

Love, Nation, Need, Supporting

Most jobs today are still structured the same way they were 50 years ago, when most families had someone who could stay at home.

- Joan Blades

Could, Still, Jobs, Structured

I have referred to myself as an accidental activist on more than one occasion.

- Joan Blades

More, Occasion, Activist, Accidental

A book reaches a different crowd of people. There are 50 different stories of very different individuals participating in their communities either locally or nationally in meaningful ways.

- Joan Blades

Crowd, Very, Stories, Communities

We aim to express the passion of our members in something actionable that we can all in fact do.

- Joan Blades

Aim, Fact, Members, Actionable

When you become active in the system and communicate to your representatives, and they don't vote in accordance with your values, your responsibility is to support candidates who will.

- Joan Blades

Communicate, Accordance, Representatives

The purpose of The Motherhood Manifesto is mothers really need to be given the ability to parent.

- Joan Blades

Parent, Mothers, Given, Manifesto

I find it odd that there's such strong objection to what is a clear way to assure that our elections are reliable and we can do a recount if there are any questions.

- Joan Blades

Strong, Questions, Clear, Odd

When we compile a petition, we often have members go to their representative's or Senator's offices and deliver it in person. This way they can experience a real connection with the staff.

- Joan Blades

Go, Deliver, Offices, Petition

Even though mother's issues are not front page news, they touch us all personally, some more than others, and I believe passionately in the power of grassroots engagement.

- Joan Blades

News, Some, Engagement, Front Page

I'm a mediator by training and inclination.

- Joan Blades

Training, Inclination, Mediator

Touch screen voting is a fine thing so long as they have a voter-verified paper trail.

- Joan Blades

Touch, Paper, Fine, Trail

I have a real sense of optimism that we are revolutionizing the way we do politics in this country.

- Joan Blades

Politics, Optimism, Country, Real Sense

People think of us as an information distributor because that's how they relate to the Internet. But most of the time people already have pretty well established opinions.

- Joan Blades

Think, Pretty, Established, Opinions

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