This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career.
People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubborn, persistent illusion.
Anything that interferes with individual progress ultimately will retard group progress.
Individual | Progress | Will |
The primary function of myth is to validate an existing social order. Myth enshrines conservative social values, raising tradition on a pedestal. It expresses and confirms, rather than explains or questions, the sources of cultural attitudes and values. Because myth anchors the present in the past it is a sociological charter for a future society which is an exact replica of the present one.
Future | Myth | Order | Past | Present | Society | Tradition | Society |
Inayat Khan, aka Hazrat Inayat Khan, fully Pir-O-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan
For everything there is a time, so there comes a time for the unfolding of the soul - but the period of that development depends upon the speed of the progress man makes through life.
Throughout human history, progress has come through the men and women who dared to challenge the precepts and dogmas that curtailed freedoms. Freethinking (which includes skepticism, rationalism, unbelief, atheism, agnosticism, humanism and so forth) has made great and lasting contributions to human freedom, human rights, and human equality.
Atheism | Challenge | Equality | Freedom | History | Men | Progress | Rights | Skepticism | Unbelief |
P. D. Premasiri, fully Pahalawattage Don Premasiri
All the progress humanity has made appears to be endangered by the very technological skills that humans have achieved. We live in an age in which the evils that humans inflict on others have reached unparalleled extremes of barbarism.
John Schaar, fully John Homer Schaar
The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination.
Future |
Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh
Only when one has lost all curiosity about the future has one reached the age to write an autobiography.
Frank Zappa, born Frank Vincent Zappa
Without deviation, progress is not possible.
All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.