Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Human knowledge advances gradually but is often slowed by doubt or regression.
In plain terms
Human progress is slow and often blocked by doubt.
What can you take from it?
Accept that progress is slow and often halted.

Where it applies

  • education
  • historical study
  • science

Putting it to work

  • critical thinking
  • historical analysis
  • patience

Questions to consider

  • What slows progress the most?
  • Is doubt always bad?

Another view

Progress can sometimes be faster than anticipated.

More from Richard Henry Horne

  1. A sweet content Passing all wisdom or its fairest flower.

    Permalink to quote #2
  2. 'T is always morning somewhere in the world.

    Permalink to quote #1

Related quotes

  1. If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders.

    Hal AbelsonHal Abelson quote #1
  2. If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants.

    Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton quote #2
  3. The more we progress the more we tend to progress. We advance not in arithmetical but in geometrical progression. We draw compound interest on the whole capita…

    Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle quote #3