out or, in some competitive manner, be exterminated by
more progressive species. Nature demands progress;
N ow let's change our. focus from the eons of
development to examine only the most recent fragment of
time in man's pmcess.of evolution., There are seyeral'meth-
ods of doing this.
One method is to read what the best. thinkers
throughout history have written concerningtheir'observa-
tions of progress-or the lack of it.,-.as applied, to their
fellow men. In doing this, I have found agreement with
the fact that the requirement to progress is a law of nature.
Here are a few observations of the world's best: thinkers:
"The true law is progress; and development.
Whenever civilization pauses in the march· of; conquest, it
is overthrown", wrote William Gilmore Simms, the Amer-
ican author.
"Progress is the law of life", wrote Robert
Browning.
"N ature knows no pause in progress. and de-
velopment, and attaches her-curse. on all inaction", wrote
Goethe.
There you have the thoughts on progress as
observed by three great" and· very differ.ent, types of think-
ers. You will find that the world's best thinkel1s agree with
the idea that Goethe expressed best, "Nature knows no
pause in progress and development." Here you have the
often-restated concept that progress is. a natural law. Then
to continue Goethe's statement "(Nature) attaches her
curse on all inaction." Or to restate it in the· words of
this chapter's heading, "Make progress ... or, stand aside."