Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. This is the condition of children and barbarians, in whom instinct has learned nothing from experience.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the importance of retaining and learning from past experiences in order to make progress. It suggests that without retaining knowledge and lessons from the past, individuals and societies remain stuck in a never-ending cycle of repeating mistakes. The quote implies that progress is not simply about change, but about gaining wisdom and understanding through experience. It also implies that those who fail to remember and learn from the past tend to remain in a state of ignorance similar to that of children and primitive societies.