You can’t say that civilization don’t advance… for in every war they kill you a new way.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
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
All growth that is not toward God, is growing to decay.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Old Year! upon the Stage of Time You stand to bow your last adieu; A moment, and the prompter’s chime Will ring the curtain down on you.
—Robert W. Service (1874–1958) Scottish Poet, Author
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
He was always smoothing and polishing himself, and in the end he became blunt before he was sharp.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
Is it progress if a cannibal uses a fork?
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
Progress—the onward stride of God.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
If any person had told the Parliament which met in terror and perplexity after the crash of 1720 that in 1830 the wealth of England would surpass all their wildest dreams, that the annual revenue would equal the principal of that debt which they considered an intolerable burden, that for one man of
—Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay (1800–59) English Historian, Essayist, Philanthropist
Intercourse is the soul of progress.
—Sir Thomas Buxton, 1st Baronet (1786–1845) English Politician, Social Reformer
My own experience and development deepen everyday my conviction that our moral progress may be measured by the degree in which we sympathize with individual suffering and individual joy.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Opportunity makes a thief.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
The greater part of progress is the desire to progress.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
Every convenience brings its own inconveniences along with it.
—Common Proverb
Nothing in progression can rest on its original plan. We might as well think of rocking a grown man in the cradle of an infant.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
By the disposition of a stupendous wisdom, moulding together the great mysterious incorporation of the human race, the whole, at one time, is never old, or middle-aged, or young, but moves on through the varied tenor of perpetual decay, fall, renovation, and progression.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
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
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 place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.
—Robert M. Pirsig (b.1928) American Writer, Philosopher, Author
I am suffocated and lost when I have not the bright feeling of progression.
—Margaret Fuller (1810–50) American Feminist, Writer, Revolutionary
At every crossroad on the way that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the past.
—Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949) Belgian Poet, Playwright, Essayist
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
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
Progress in meditation comes swiftly for those who try their hardest.
—Patanjali Indian Hindu Philosopher, Poet, Writer
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
Progress is the stride of God.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
—Isaac Asimov (1920–92) Russian-born American Writer, Scientist
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
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
The moment a man ceases to progress, to grow higher, wider and deeper, then his life becomes stagnant.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
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
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 is not an illusion, it happens, but it is slow and invariably disappointing.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
The true law of the race is progress and development. Whenever civilization pauses in the march of conquest, it is overthrown by the barbarian.
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–70) American Poet, Novelist, Historian
All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorships. There is the whole case against censorships in a nutshell.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Only mediocrities progress. An artist revolves in a cycle of masterpieces, the first of which is no less perfect than the last.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
The measure of progress of civilization is the progress of the people.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician
Things will get better—despite our efforts to improve them.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
The reason for the slow progress of the world seems to lie in a single fact. Every man is born under the yoke, and grows up beneath the oppressions of his age. He can only get a vision of the unselfish forces in the world by appealing to them, and every appeal is a call to arms. If he fights he must fight, not one man, but a conspiracy. He is always at war with a civilization. On his side is proverbial philosophy, a galaxy of invisible saints and sages, and the half-developed consciousness and professions of everybody. Against him is the world, and every selfish passion in his own heart.
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933) American Biographer, Poet, Essayist, Writer
Without bigots, eccentrics, cranks and heretics the world would not progress.
—Gelett Burgess (1866–1951) American Humorist, Art Critic
The United States has to move very fast to even stand still.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Why aren’t we making any progress towards a crime-free society? We’re not making progress because we are too damn busy making excuses.
—Unknown
If the human race wants to go to hell in a basket, technology can help it get there by jet.
—Charles L. Allen (1913–2005) American Methodist Minister
That past which is so presumptuously brought forward as a precedent for the present, was itself founded on some past that went before it.
—Anne Louise Germaine de Stael (1766–1817) French Woman of Letters
Progress is the law of life; man is not a man as yet.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet