QuoteProject
All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.
Samuel Butler
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Progress is driven by a fundamental human desire to achieve more than what one currently has.

This quote by Samuel Butler suggests that the essence of progress lies in the innate human motivation to strive for greater achievements and improvements in life, often pushing individuals to go beyond their current financial means or limitations. It reflects the universal longing for growth, advancement, and the pursuit of a better existence, which can be seen across all forms of life.

Themes

ProgressDesireGrowthLifeAchievement

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used during a motivational speech to inspire people to pursue their goals.

More from Samuel Butler

Belief like any other moving body follows the path of least resistance.
Samuel ButlerRead
To know God better is only to realize how impossible it is that we should ever know him at all. I know not which is more childish to deny him, or define him.
Samuel ButlerRead
Academic and aristocratic people live in such an uncommon atmosphere that common sense can rarely reach them.
Samuel ButlerRead
An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.
Samuel ButlerRead
Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances.
Samuel ButlerRead
People care more about being thought to have taste than about being thought either good, clever or amiable.
Samuel ButlerRead

Similar quotes

The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.
Simone WeilRead
Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get swallowed up by the great chewing complacency.
AesopRead
I am lucky to be what I am! Thank goodness I'm not just a clam, or a ham, or a dusty jar of sour gooseberry jam! I am what I am - that's a great thing to be!
Dr. SeussRead
Pay no attention to what the critics say; _x000D_ _x000D_ no statue has ever been erected to a critic.
Jean SibeliusRead
Each person feels that he is an 'expert' in one or two fields and just the 'public' in all the others. But you know, probably, from experience that no one is really able to appreciate any display of ability in any field if he himself has not, to a certain degree, taken part in its problems and difficulties at some time.
Walter GropiusRead
At the root of all the harm we cause is ignorance.
Pema ChodronRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.