I now see this underlying idea that there’s an absolutely obvious progressive path humanity must take, and we are either on or off it.
But where are we supposed to be going?
Who decides?
Truth is, progress is relative. It depends on where you want to go.
If you believe you are going in the wrong direction, the most progressive move is to turn back.
I think progress can only be defined in relation to a destination. Progress in and of itself is meaningless. We progress toward something. The something is what it’s important.
In that sense, if we know where we want to go and take proactive steps in that direction, we are progressives.
The world is not so much divided into left and right, stupid and bright, good and evil.
Instead, we are mostly divided in what we think we should be doing. It’s a division based on our goals, not on the goodness of our motives. We disagree on the next step in front of us because we ultimately disagree on the final destination. That’s it.
Where are you going?