I am always amazed by the resistance offered to progress, even the most innocuous progress. Imagine, if you will, jumping from one rickety bridge to another, with blind men running back and forth trying to push you off, and you will have some idea what legislating progress is like. The good news is that if you're pushed off, you can always climb back up and try again.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Compares pushing progress to crossing a dangerous bridge with obstacles, but encourages persistence.
- In plain terms
- Making progress is hard and people fight it, but you can try again if you fail.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect resistance to change but keep trying.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you handle resistance to your ideas?
- Is failure in progress expected?
Another view
Some resistance is necessary to filter bad ideas.
More from Adlai Stevenson
Ignorance is stubborn and prejudice is hard.
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