The great ideals of the past failed not by being outlived (which must mean over-lived), but by not being lived enough. Mankind has not passed through the Middle Ages. Rather mankind has retreated from the Middle Ages in reaction and rout. The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Ideals fail because people do not practice them enough, not because they are outdated.
- In plain terms
- Ideas fail when people stop trying them, not when they are old.
- What can you take from it?
- Test ideals actively rather than discarding them.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What value have you stopped trying?
- Are ideals too hard or too simple?
Another view
Some ideals may genuinely be obsolete.
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