Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. Society acquires new arts, and loses old instincts.

Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it

Summary

This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests that societal progress is a constant cycle of gains and losses. While society may advance in terms of acquiring new skills and knowledge, it simultaneously loses certain innate instincts or innate abilities. Emerson implies that as society evolves technologically or intellectually, it may also lose touch with its natural and primitive inclinations. This understanding challenges the notion of progress as an exclusively positive linear trajectory, highlighting the subjective nature of societal development.

Topics

Society

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

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