Quote by John Steinbeck
This you may say of man - when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, when narrow dark alleys of thought, national, religious, economic, grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward, painfully, mistakenly sometimes. Having stepped forward, he may slip back, but only half a step, never the full step back.
Summary
This quote suggests that despite the constantly changing and conflicting theories, philosophies, and beliefs in society, human progress continues. While individuals may make mistakes and experience setbacks, they always manage to move forward, albeit sometimes painfully. The quote emphasizes the resilience of human nature and the advancement it brings, even if progress is not always linear. It implies that although setbacks may occur, humanity never regresses completely, always maintaining progress even if only to a limited extent.