The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can, never suspecting that anybody wishes to hinder him.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Progress is not an illusion, it happens, but it is slow and invariably disappointing.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
Enthusiastic partisans of the idea of progress are in danger of failing to recognize… the immense riches accumulated by the human race. By underrating the achievements of the past, they devalue all those which still remain to be accomplished.
—Claude Levi-Strauss (1908–2009) French Social Anthropologist, Philosopher
Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!
—Og Mandino (1923–96) American Self-Help Author
As used in economics the term “capital” would be defined as follows: Capital refers to resources withheld from immediate consumption in the expectation of greater future returns. However controversial a topic this has been, capital has been the main—if not the only—way of achieving progress, even in violently anticapitalist, socialist countries. A dam, a hospital, a university, a cathedral, or a national park cannot be built without using up resources that would be easier to consume immediately, and none of them would be built at all unless they were believed to provide some greater returns in the future.
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934–2021) Hungarian-American Psychologist
When any real progress is made, we unlearn and learn anew what we thought we knew before.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
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
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
It’s not about success, it’s about progress.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future.
—Frank Herbert (1920–86) American Science Fiction Writer
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
People tend to think that life really does progress for everyone eventually, that people progress, but actually only some people progress. The rest of the people don’t.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
Undoubtedly a man is to labor to better his condition, but first to better himself.
—William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) American Unitarian Theologian, Poet
On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity.
—George Goodman (b.1930) American Economist, Author
To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul, to give it its final blow the coup de grace for the painter as well as for the picture.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
The mind naturally makes progress, and the will naturally clings to objects, so that for want of right objects, it will attach itself to wrong ones.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Without bigots, eccentrics, cranks and heretics the world would not progress.
—Gelett Burgess (1866–1951) American Humorist, Art Critic
Generations are as the days of toilsome mankind…. What the father has made, the son can make and enjoy but has also work of his own appointed him. Thus all things wax and roll onwards; arts, establishments, opinions; nothing is ever completed, but ever completing.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
The releasing of attachment to object and certain beliefs was already indelibly written as a very necessary step in my human progress toward being.
—Marlo Morgan (1937–98) American Novelist, Author
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
It makes little difference how many university courses or degrees a person may own. If he cannot use words to move an idea from one point to another, his education is incomplete.
—Norman Cousins (1912–1990) American Political Journalist
Today’s progress was yesterday’s plan.
—Unknown
No man is able to make progress when he is wavering between opposite things.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
We should so live and labor in our time that what came to us as seed may go to the next generation as blossom, and that which came to us as blossom may go to them as fruit. That is what we mean by progress.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
It takes five years to design a new car in this country. Heck, we won World War II in four years.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
—Eden Phillpotts (1862–1960) English Novelist, Dramatist, Poet
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
Before a diamond shows its brilliancy and prismatic colors it has to stand a good deal of cutting and smoothing.
—Unknown