Change is Beautiful; Progress is Not (Roman, cross)

[tomspug]

Change is most certainly beautiful. It is what defines art and nature. Constant motion, growth, deterioration, life, death, no day is like another day. No person is like another person. Uniqueness is beautiful.

Progress is most certainly not beautiful. In the same way that a farmed land has no comparable beauty to the land it replaced, there is no beauty in anything 'altered' from its natural state, for some 'purpose', except that which was maintained from its previous state.

Real 'growth' leads inevitably to decline. There is no 'progress' in growth. A flower rises miraculously from the ground, magnificently, then, pathetically, it shrivels and dies. But in that full moment of beauty, in its absence it is treasured. It's successor is anticipated.

A romantic person would say, "it would be better for the rose NEVER to die", but this is simply not possible. It would be foolishness to attempt it, yet in his futility man does this very thing by attempting to 'improve' upon beauty, which he has yet to accomplish in any respect.

When man DOES produce something beautiful, is it progress? No, it is change. A man changes coal into a diamond. Minerals are shaped into jewelry. Wood and stone is organized into fantastic shapes. This can be beautiful, but it does not last. It will inevitably crumble and collapse as pathetically as the rose, yet it's construction was nonetheless magnificent.

One could argue that progress is measured by numbers and distances, yet are these things beautiful? No, progress is void of beauty, because progress does not require it. Beauty is irrelevant to progress.

So in conclusion, I would say that progress is NOT change. Change is beautiful. "Progress" then, is the slowing of change. It is, so to speak, a derivative rather than an actual thing. It is as beautiful as, say, a tape measure.

[Willamena]

Perhaps the problem is in seeing the shrivelling and dying of the flower as "pathetic" (or progress as destructive).

[michel]

Originally Posted by Willamena

Perhaps the problem is in seeing the shrivelling and dying of the flower as "pathetic" (or progress as destructive).

I think you are right; I was not convinced, reading the O/P, but if we see progress as "What happens with the passing of time" rather than with connnotations of "getting better", whilst being non-judghemental (i.e accepting the normal ravages of time un-judgementally...../Damn, my hair is going grey/...........).

[mball1297]

No, progress is not change, but the hope is that change causes progress.

[michel]

Originally Posted by mball1297

No, progress is not change, but the hope is that change causes progress.

But all that is born, and grows, must (at some time) reach its peak, and then decline....surely? - that mustn't be seen as being a negative......

[mball1297]

Originally Posted by michel

But all that is born, and grows, must (at some time) reach its peak, and then decline....surely? - that mustn't be seen as being a negative......

That is true. Did you see something in my post that contradicted that?

[zenzero]

Change is the only thing permanent in this world.
*You cannot cross the same river twice* [forgot who had said it]
Life is always in motion and the wheel always moves forward and that is progress.
One can never go back it is impossible and this moving forward is progress.
One can view it anyway he likes but that is the law of nature is and reman so.
Love & rgds

[Burning Giraffe]

Progress is beautiful. Cities are beautiful. Machines are beautiful. Men protected from the wraths of nature is beautiful.