Progress
Progress fundamentally is change, but it cannot be any change for the sake of it. The change must be tenable for it to be progressive. Any change that undermines the ecology, dignity of a person, cultural values, cultural heritages, and creates more victims than benefactors, isn't progress.
- Ecology — All infrastructure developments affect ecology in varying degrees. Some ecological intrusions are reversible, while others are not. Some have large a ecological footprint while others have a small one. Perhaps, this is a logically consistent demarcations to start with. Any change that results in an irreversible ecological intrusion or results in a large ecological footprint cannot be called progress. Environmental activists — those that engage in ecological studies, scientific researches, sensible debates and practical solutions — can be of great assistance here to establish the degree of reversibility and ecological footprint.
- Dignity — Any change that violates an individual's dignity cannot be termed as progress since the realisation of human dignity is a result of thinking, and thinking is a result of evolutionary progress. Such changes are seen when a society simply imitates foreign practices either to gratify their 'grass is greener on the other side' syndrome or to meet certain global standards. The house keeping workforce disposing someone else's used toilet papers in eastern cultures is a great example of such regressive changes, because the act violates the housekeeper's dignity since he/she didn't grow up with that practice.
- Values — Any change that undermines the value system of the participants is not a progressive change. One such change is the transition from the joint family system to a nuclear family system, often mistakenly touted as a sign of progress and empowerment, but in fact is a downgrade ecologically, sociologically and psychologically. Learn more.
Never judge the progress of a society by comparing with other societies. She must be compared with herself alone, measuring improvements against her past and her potential. Only then can she ensure progress. Else, she will stay complacent where people enjoy a false sense of comfort and superiority even when ranked second to last; because she is still better than someone — the last one.
Also, a jump in the rank list does not always infer true progress. Only comparisons with her past can measure true progress. Improved societies can still take bottom places in rankings due to high competition and better performers. Therefore, it is pragmatic to focus and improve against yourself than others. True transformation is achieved by focusing within.
Some measure progress by the monetary wealth in a given society. But the wealth of a society does not lie in monetary richness, but in the quality of education, richness of culture, pristine of ecology, treatment of all lives, and the abundance of food, water, air and health care. Money is only as good as what it can buy. It does not have any intrinsic value; its value is controlled and determined by various external factors. Therefore, it is better to accumulate the knowledge, skills and resources that money buys than to accumulate money to buy them. There is a point after which money can no longer improve lives; and a point beyond which money cannot buy us anything. Understanding that point is wisdom.