Progressive Change Quotes

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.

Conservatism defends those coercive arrangements which a still-lingering savageness makes requisite. Radicalism endeavours to realize a state more in harmony with the character of the ideal man.

It is the duty of youth to bring fresh new powers to bear on Social progress. Each generation of young people should be to the world like a vast reserve force to a tired army. They should life the world forward. That is what they are for.

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.

On the contrary a film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever but in its form and language can tell people that they can change their lives and contribute to progressive changes in the world.

The struggle between the opponents and defenders of capitalism is a struggle between innovators who do not know what innovation to make and conservatives who do not know what to conserve.

Change is incremental and real change, enduring change, occurs one step at a time.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

In life, change is inevitable. In business, change is vital.

When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.

A revolution simply means great change, significant change, and that's how I'm defining it - great change for the better, brought about through non-violent means.

No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.

We will have a more just society as soon as we want one.

Under the sublime law of progress, the present outgrows the past. The great heart of humanity is heaving with the hopes of a brighter day. All the higher instincts of our nature prophesy its approach; and the best intellects of the race are struggling to turn that prophecy into fulfilment.

The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you’re going to lose, because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins.

Freedom to think our own thoughts, freedom to utter them, freedom to live out the promptings of our inner life ultimated in this convention, was termed a monstrosity of the 19th century. What was it?—the legitimate out-birth of the eternal law of progress. This reformation underlies every other; it is the only healthful centre around which hope of humanity can revolve.

Folks, it's time to evolve. That's why we're troubled. You know why our institutions are failing us, the church, the state, everything's failing? It's because, um - they're no longer relevant. We're supposed to keep evolving. Evolution did not end with us growing opposable thumbs. You do know that, right?

All great reforms go together.

History reminds us that revolutions are not events, so much that they’re processes – that for tens of thousands of years, people have been making decisions that irrevocably shaped the world that we live in today; just as today, we are making subtle, irrevocable decisions that people of the future will remember as revolutions.

Your life will be a great and continuous unfolding

The progress of society depends on nothing more than the exposure of time-honored abuses.

Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again it will solve the problem of the age.

The left no longer stands for common sense, as it did in the days of Tom Paine.

I've changed, and I've learned every single year what to do and what not to do. But I still pride myself on going out and doing the right things. Doing what I'm supposed to be doing on both ends of the floor.