Social advance depends as much upon the process through which it is secured as upon the result itself.
—Jane Addams (1860–1935) American Social Reformer, Feminist
I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
The greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress.
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
The power to question is the basis of all human progress.
—Indira Gandhi (1917–84) Indian Head of State
The world owes all its onward impulses to men ill at ease. The happy man inevitably confines himself within ancient limits.
—Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–64) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
All growth that is not toward God, is growing to decay.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
The prudent, penniless beginner in the world labors for wages for a while, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himself another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This is the just, and generous and prosperous system which opens the way to all, gives hope to all, and consequently energy, and progress, and improvement of conditions to all.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
What you become directly influences what you get.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
All the important human advances that we know of since historical times began have been due to individuals of whom the majority faced virulent public opposition.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
When a blind man carries a lame man both go forward.
—Swedish Proverb
If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these; for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
We have not wings we cannot soar; but, we have feet to scale and climb, by slow degrees, by more and more, the cloudy summits of our time.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.
—Anthony J. D’Angelo
The grandest of all laws is the law of progressive development. Under it, in the wide sweep of things, men grow wiser as they grow older, and societies better.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Human development is a form of chronological unfairness, since late-comers are able to profit by the labors of their predecessors without paying the same price.
—Alexander Herzen (1812–70) Russian Revolutionary, Writer
Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit, and do on increasingly higher planes. We deceive ourselves if we think that any one of these is sufficient. To keep progressing, we must learn, commit, and do—learn, commit, and do—and learn, commit, and do again.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
If human progress had been merely a matter of leadership we should be in Utopia today.
—Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902) American Politician, Lawyer
The improvement of our way of life is more important than the spreading of it. If we make it satisfactory enough, it will spread automatically. If we do not, no strength of arms can permanently oppose it.
—Charles Lindbergh (1902–74) American Aviator, Inventor, Conservationist
As long as I can conceive something better than myself I cannot be easy unless I am striving to bring it into existence or clearing the way for it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Progress—the onward stride of God.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order. Life refuses to be embalmed alive. The more prolonged the halt in some unrelieved system of order, the greater the crash of the dead society.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
Who are they that would have all mankind look backward instead of forward, and regulate their conduct by things that have been done? those who are the most ignorant as to all things that are doing. Bacon said, time is the greatest of innovators; he might also have said the greatest of improvers.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Perhaps the best definition of progress would be the continuing efforts of men and women to narrow the gap between the convenience of the powers that be and the unwritten charter.
—Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014) South African Novelist, Short-Story Writer
Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire. Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it. We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him, because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation. The gods loved him because men hated him.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
Most of our modern portrait painters are doomed to absolute oblivion. They never paint what they see. They paint what the public sees, and the public never sees anything.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
The characteristic of scientific progress is our knowing that we did not know.
—Gaston Bachelard (1884–1962) French Philosopher, Psychoanalyst, Poet
Society moves slowly toward civilization, but when we compare epochs half a century or even quarter of a century apart, we perceive many signs that progress is made.
—Lydia Maria Child (1802–80) American Abolitionist, Writer
Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.
—Stewart Brand (b.1938) American Writer, Editor
There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self. So you have to begin there, not outside, not on other people. That comes afterward, when you’ve worked on your own corner.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.
—Robert A. Heinlein (1907–88) American Science Fiction Writer
Life does not stand still. Where there is no progress there is disintegration. Today a thousand doors of enterprise are open to you, inviting you to useful work. To live at this time is an inestimable privilege, and a sacred obligation devolves upon you to make right use of your opportunities. Today is the day in which to attempt and achieve something worth while.
—Grenville Kleiser (1868–1935) Canadian Author
It is curious to note the old sea-margins of human thought. Each subsiding century reveals some new mystery; we build where monsters used to hide themselves.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
Not to go back is somewhat to advance. And men must walk, at least, before they dance.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Change is not always progress…. A fever of newness had been everywhere confused with the spirit of progress.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Judge of thine improvement, not by what thou speakest or writest, but by the firmness of thy mind, and the government of thy passions and affections.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.
—Thomas L. Holdcroft
The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome dubious eggs called possibilities.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Let us labor for that larger comprehension of truth, and that more thorough repudiation of error, which shall make the history of mankind a series of ascending developments.
—Horace Mann (1796–1859) American Educator, Politician, Educationalist
Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
I am a bad, wicked man, but I am practicing moral self-purification; I don’t eat meat any more, I now eat rice cutlets.
—Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Russian Revolutionary Leader
The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.
—Philip Roth (1933–2018) American Novelist, Short-story Writer
True conservatism is substantial progress; it holds fast what is true and good in order to advance in both.—recast away the old is not of necessity to obtain the new.—To reject anything that is valuable, lessens the power of gaining more. That a thing is new does not of course commend; that it is old does not discredit. The test question is, “Is it true or good?”
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
Some falls are means the happier to rise.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The measure of progress of civilization is the progress of the people.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician