essay on progress is impossible without change

• …the character of a man…

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – george bernard shaw.

There are plenty of reasons to not change. But without change, how will you progress? Without progress, how will you grow? This is just a partial list. What is on your list?

What does that mean? This quote is about the one certain thing in life; change. Change will happen. The question is will you allow your mind to change as the new facts are revealed?

To move beyond where you are requires change. Progress is what we call that motion when it is in a desired direction (or at least desired to the person calling it progress).

That requires us to be willing to change our minds when the errors in our thoughts are pointed out to us. If we are unwilling to change our minds, there is nothing which can be done for us, right?

This quote is about examining the facts, and changing our opinions when the facts no longer support our prior thoughts or beliefs.

Why is considering the facts important?    The people who believed in a flat Earth, or the Sun revolving around the Earth eventually changed their minds. Or they didn’t. But those that didn’t eventually died out, and now neither the flatness of the Earth nor what is at the center of the Solar System is in any dispute.

Humanity has believed all sorts of things in the past. But change, and eventually progress, have slowly been working at straightening out these misconceptions. When we consider the latest facts, we have to consider what changes we need to make to our beliefs and lives.

Many of us believed at one point in our young lives that we could fly. Whether it was with a cape or a bed-sheet, we believed we could make it happen. Eventually, after considering the facts, we changed our minds about our ability to fly. And that was progress, right?

But if we refuse to consider new facts as they are uncovered and verified, how will we ever be able to change our minds? If we refuse to change our minds, how will we ever be able to progress beyond our misconceptions? Change is the nature of the Universe. Adapt or be left behind.

Where can I apply this in my life? When I was a child, the big scare of Climate Change was about Global Cooling, and where we would place all the Canadians fleeing the encroaching ice sheets. People changed their minds as the cooling trend changed. Then it got warmer, and people changed their minds and it was Global Warming.

The latest data says temperatures have been stable, and so it appears it is time for us to change our minds once again. At least that is what the facts seem to show, and what would appear to be a reasonable conclusion. But for some, they won’t be able to change their minds.

Imagine how difficult it would be to make progress in your life if you believed something untrue, and refused to let go of that thought. If someone believed they were ugly and no one could possibly love them, how would they react when someone expressed interest in them?

Until that person is able to change their mind, how will they be able to make any progress regarding their self-image, and their ability to feel loved? How long will they feel this way? Until they can reconsider the facts and change their mind. For some, that takes a very long time indeed.

To me, that is the real point of the quote. We know so many things which simply are not true. Yet we defend them because we believe them to be true. Even when they are not. I used to believe I was a lousy writer. Now I know better. I’ve upgraded myself to somewhere between tedious and mediocre. 8)

Where in your life have you believed one thing, but been told something else? Do you think you sing poorly, but have been told you are pretty good at singing? Perhaps you don’t think much of your ability to speak or write, but have been encouraged by others to do more?

The first thing is to consider the source. It’s easy to dismiss the encouragement of a close relative or friend. They want you to feel good about yourself, so they might be stretching the truth a little. But what if they are not? Have you considered that possibility?

Next consider the expertise of the person giving you the facts. Are they knowledgeable? Is someone who sings worse than you saying you are great? Is that just because you sing better than they do? Or do they know something you have yet to realize?

We understand that things change. What we may not be willing to consider is that we are changing as well. The only question is if the change will lead to progress or not. If we can consider the facts as we become aware of them, we can change for the better.

If we cannot (or will not) change our minds, then and only then are we well and truly stuck.

From: Twitter, @thequote confirmed at : http://pt.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw  – Everybody’s Political what’s what – page 330, Bernard Shaw – Dodd, Mead, 1944-380 pages Photo by  Anne Adrian

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3 responses to progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything..

Pingback: SINGAPORE PARLIAMENT HOUSE | Chen Jialing

Am making changes right now in my life.4 the first in my life, I HAVE THE PEACE OF GOD IN MY LIFE,4 GOD IS GOOD.

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George Bernard Shaw: 'Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.'

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

The quote by George Bernard Shaw, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything," encapsulates the profound truth that in order for progress to occur, we must be willing to embrace change and evolve our perspectives. Without a willingness to adapt and reconsider our beliefs, we are impeding our own growth and hindering any potential advancements. This quote serves as a reminder that in order to effect meaningful change, both on an individual and societal level, we must be open and receptive to new ideas and perspectives.At first glance, Shaw's quote seems fairly straightforward. It urges us to recognize the importance of change in fueling progress, both on a personal and collective level. However, when we delve deeper into this notion, a fascinating philosophical concept emerges - the relationship between our minds and the external world.We often perceive reality through the lens of our own experiences, beliefs, and biases. These mental constructs shape our understanding of the world, guiding our actions and decisions. However, if we are unwilling to challenge and revise these mental frameworks, we become trapped within our own limited perspectives. This self-imposed confinement prevents us from embracing new possibilities and inhibits any potential for growth.Now, let's explore an unexpected philosophical concept - the idea of solipsism. Solipsism is the belief that all reality is subjective and can only be known through one's mind. According to this viewpoint, we are essentially trapped within our own consciousness, unable to access anything beyond our own thoughts and perceptions. While solipsism may seem far-fetched and disconnected from Shaw's quote, it serves to highlight the importance of open-mindedness and the ability to change our mental constructs.If we were to subscribe to solipsism and stubbornly cling to our own preconceived notions, refusing to consider alternative viewpoints, we would effectively be denying ourselves the opportunity for growth and progress. Our fundamental understanding of reality would remain stagnant, and any attempt at change, whether personal or societal, would be futile.In contrast, embracing the idea that there is a reality beyond our own subjective experiences allows us to acknowledge the potential for growth and progression. By recognizing that our understanding of reality is limited and subject to change, we open ourselves up to new perspectives, ideas, and possibilities. This mental flexibility enables us to adapt and evolve, ultimately leading to progress both in our personal lives and in the world at large.In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw's quote, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything," serves as a powerful reminder of the inseparable connection between progress and open-mindedness. By acknowledging the limitations of our existing beliefs and being willing to reconsider and revise our perspectives, we can propel ourselves forward and effect meaningful change. The philosophical concept of solipsism further emphasizes the importance of being receptive to new ideas and embracing the ever-changing nature of reality. Ultimately, it is through our willingness to evolve our minds that we can truly change the world.

George Bernard Shaw: 'You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?''

George bernard shaw: 'life isn't about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself.'.

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“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

Quote of the Day: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

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George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw ( 26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950 ), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw , was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature .

• 1.1.1 Quintessence Of Ibsenism (1891; 1913)
• 1.1.2 The Philanderer (1893)
• 1.1.3 Mrs. Warren's Profession (1893)
• 1.1.4 Caesar and Cleopatra (1898)
• 1.2.1 Love Among the Artists (1900)
• 1.2.2 Man and Superman (1903)
• 1.2.3 Maxims for Revolutionists (1903)
• 1.2.4 Major Barbara (1905)
• 1.2.5 John Bull's Other Island (1907)
• 1.2.6 Getting Married (1908)
• 1.3.1 Misalliance (1910)
• 1.3.2 A Treatise on Parents and Children (1910)
• 1.3.3 The Doctor's Dilemma (1911)
• 1.3.4 Pygmalion (1912)
• 1.3.5 Androcles and the Lion (1913)
• 1.3.6 The Technique of War (1917)
• 1.3.7 Heartbreak House (1919)
• 1.4.1 Back to Methuselah (1921)
• 1.5.1 On the Rocks (1933)
• 1.6 1940s and later
• 2 Attributed
• 4 Misattributed
• 5 Quotes about Shaw
• 7 External links

Quotes [ edit ]

1890s [ edit ]

• 'The Impossibilities of Anarchism', a paper read to the Fabian Society on 16 October 1891, reprinted in The Impossibilities of Anarchism (Fabian tract no. 45, 1895), pp. 4–5
• The World (15 November 1893)
• The World (18 July 1894), Music in London 1890-1894 being criticisms contributed week by week to The World (New York: Vienna House, 1973)
• "The Living Pictures", The Saturday Review , LXXIX (April 6, 1895), 443, reprinted in Our Theatres in the Nineties (1932). Vol. 1. London: Constable & Co. 79-86
• Answers to Nine Questions (September 1896), answers to nine questions submitted by Clarence Rook, who had interviewed him in 1895
• comments after attending the 1896 Bayreuth Festival. Quoted in "Visits to Valhalla: The Ectasy And the Agony" by Carolyn Abbatte, New York Times, March 26, 1989 . Access date April 1, 2021.
• Candida , Act I (1898)
• Candida , Act III
• You Never Can Tell , Act I (1898)
• You Never Can Tell , Act II
• You Never Can Tell , Act IV
• Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant , Vol. I, preface (1898)
• Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant , Vol. II, preface (1898)
• Arms and the Man , Act III (1898)
• Interview "What Vegetarianism Really Means: a Talk with Mr Bernard Shaw", in Vegetarian (15 January 1898), reprinted in Shaw: Interviews and Recollections , edited by A. M. Gibbs, 1990, p. 401

Quintessence Of Ibsenism (1891; 1913) [ edit ]

• Preface to the 1913 edition
• The Two Pioneers
• What is the New Element in the Norwegian School?

The Philanderer (1893) [ edit ]

Mrs. Warren's Profession (1893) [ edit ]

• Vivie , Act II
• Crofts , Act III
• Praed , Act IV

Caesar and Cleopatra (1898) [ edit ]

• Act II; sometimes paraphrased as: The customs of your tribe are not laws of nature.

1900s [ edit ]

• Three Plays for Puritans , Preface (1900)
• On the Boer War ; letter to Henry Stephens Salt (12 March 1900), quoted in George Bernard Shaw, Collected Letters: 1898–1910 , ed. Dan H. Laurence (1985), p. 153
• The Devil's Disciple , Act II (1901)
• The Devil's Disciple , Act II
• Interview "Who I Am, and What I Think", in Frank Harris 's periodical The Candid Friend (May 1901), reprinted in Sixteen Self Sketches , 1949, p. 53; quoted in Desmond King-Hele , Shelley: His Thought and Work , 1984, p. 42
• The Irrational Knot , Preface (1905)
• The Irrational Knot (1905)
• The Sanity of Art: An Exposure of the Current Nonsense about Artists being Degenerate (1908)
• The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet (1909): The Rejected Statement , Pt. I : The Limits to Toleration
• London Morning Post , December 3, 1925
• Literary Digest , October 12, 1932

Love Among the Artists (1900) [ edit ]

• The way to deal with worldly people is to frighten them by repeating their scandalous whisperings aloud.
• The public want actresses, because they think all actresses bad. They don't want music or poetry because they know that both are good. So actors and actresses thrive and poets and composers starve.
• There are some men who are considered quite ugly, but who are more remarkable than pretty people. You often see that in artists.
• All very fine, Mary; but my old-fashioned common sense is better than your clever modern nonsense .
• If you leave your art , the world will beat you back to it. The world has not an ambition worth sharing, or a prize worth handling. Corrupt successes , disgraceful failures , or sheeplike vegetation are all it has to offer. I prefer Art, which gives me a sixth sense of beauty , with self-respect : perhaps also an immortal reputation in return for honest endeavour in a labour of love .
• Perhaps woman's art is of woman's life a thing apart, 'tis man's whole existence; just as love is said to be the reverse — though it isn't.
• I hate singers, a miserable crew who think that music exists only in their own throats.
• A man's own self is the last person to believe in him, and is harder to cheat than the rest of the world.
• Composers are not human; They can live on diminished sevenths, and be contented with a pianoforte for a wife, and a string quartet for a family.
• Geniuses are horrid, intolerant, easily offended, sleeplessly self-conscious men, who expect their wives to be angels with no further business in life than to pet and worship their husbands. Even at the best they are not comfortable men to live with; and a perfect husband is one who is perfectly comfortable to live with.
• Even the youngest of us may be wrong sometimes.

Man and Superman (1903) [ edit ]

Maxims for Revolutionists (1903) [ edit ]

Major barbara (1905) [ edit ].

• You cannot have power for good without having power for evil too. Even mother's milk nourishes murderers as well as heroes.
• Undershaft : You have made for yourself something that you call a morality or a religion or what not. It doesn't fit the facts. Well, scrap it. Scrap it and get one that does fit. That is what is wrong with the world at present. It scraps its obsolete steam engines and dynamos; but it wont scrap its old prejudices and its old moralities and its old religions and its old political constitutions. Whats the result? In machinery it does very well; but in morals and religion and politics it is working at a loss that brings it nearer bankruptcy every year.
• Cusins : Call you poverty a crime? Undershaft : The worst of crimes . All the other crimes are virtues beside it: all the other dishonors are chivalry itself by comparison. Poverty blights whole cities; spreads horrible pestilences; strikes dead the very souls of all who come within sight, sound or smell of it. What you call crime is nothing: a murder here and a theft there, a blow now and a curse then: what do they matter? they are only the accidents and illnesses of life: there are not fifty genuine professional criminals in London. But there are millions of poor people, abject people, dirty people, ill fed, ill clothed people. They poison us morally and physically: they kill the happiness of society : they force us to do away with our own liberties and to organize unnatural cruelties for fear they should rise against us and drag us down into their abyss. Only fools fear crime: we all fear poverty.
• It is not the sale of my soul that troubles me: I have sold it too often to care about that. I have sold it for a professorship. I have sold it for an income. ... What is all human conduct but the daily and hourly sale of our souls for trifles?
• He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.

John Bull's Other Island (1907) [ edit ]

• What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering.

Getting Married (1908) [ edit ]

• Preface: "The Personal Sentimental Basis of Monogamy"
• Mrs. George

1910s [ edit ]

• The Dark Lady of the Sonnets , Preface (1910)
• Shaw's Lecture to the London's Eugenics Education Society, The Daily Express , (March 4, 1910), quoted in Modernism and the Culture of Efficiency: Ideology and Fiction , Evelyn Cobley, University of Toronto Press (2009) p. 159
• As quoted in George Bernard Shaw, his life and works : a critical biography (authorised), Archibald Henderson, Stewart & Kidd (1911), Chapter VII (The Art Critic), pp. 201-202
• Fanny's First Play , Preface (1911)
• Fanny's First Play , Epilogue
• Overruled (1912)
• As quoted in "Literary Censorship in England" in Current Opinion , Vol. 55, No. 5 (November 1913), p. 378; this has sometimes appeared on the internet in paraphrased form as "Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads"
• Newsreel interview by George Bernard Shaw entitled "Various Scenes with George Bernard Shaw," Fox Movietone Newsreel (1933), referring to Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency
• Killing For Sport , Preface (1914)
• Annajanska (1919)
• O'Flaherty V.C. (1919)

Misalliance (1910) [ edit ]

• A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of Hell .

A Treatise on Parents and Children (1910) [ edit ]

• When will we realize that the fact that we can become accustomed to anything, however disgusting at first, makes it necessary to examine carefully everything we have become accustomed to.
• Death is for many of us the gate of hell ; but we are inside on the way out, not outside on the way in.
• A nation should always be healthily rebellious ; but the king or prime minister has yet to be found who will make trouble by cultivating that side of the national spirit. A child should begin to assert itself early, and shift for itself more and more not only in washing and dressing itself, but in opinions and conduct; yet as nothing is so exasperating and so unlovable as an uppish child, it is useless to expect parents and schoolmasters to inculcate this uppishness. Such unamiable precepts as Always contradict an authoritative statement, Always return a blow, Never lose a chance of a good fight, When you are scolded for a mistake ask the person who scolds you whether he or she supposes you did it on purpose, and follow the question with a blow or an insult or some other unmistakable expression of resentment, Remember that the progress of the world depends on your knowing better than your elders , are just as important as those of The Sermon on the Mount; but no one has yet seen them written up in letters of gold in a schoolroom or nursery.
• You are so careful of your boy's morals , knowing how troublesome they may be, that you keep him away from the Venus of Milo only to find him in the arms of the scullery maid or someone much worse. You decide that the Hermes of Praxiteles and Wagner's Tristan are not suited for young girls; and your daughter marries somebody appallingly unlike either Hermes or Tristan solely to escape from your parental protection. You have not stifled a single passion nor averted a single danger: you have depraved the passions by starving them, and broken down all the defences which so effectively protect children brought up in freedom.
• The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure for it is occupation , because occupation means pre-occupation; and the pre-occupied person is neither happy nor unhappy, but simply alive and active, which is pleasanter than any happiness until you are tired of it.

The Doctor's Dilemma (1911) [ edit ]

• Chloroform has done a lot of mischief . It's enabled every fool to be a surgeon.

Pygmalion (1912) [ edit ]

• You see, lots of the real people can't do it at all: they're such fools that they think style comes by nature to people in their position; and so they never learn. There's always something professional about doing a thing superlatively well.
• Time enough to think of the future when you haven't any future to think of.

Androcles and the Lion (1913) [ edit ]

• Preface, The importance of hell in the salvation scheme
• Revolutionary movements attract those who are not good enough for established institutions as well as those who are too good for them.
• Preface, Paul

The Technique of War (1917) [ edit ]

• The Daily Chronicle on the 7 March 1917 .

Heartbreak House (1919) [ edit ]

• Captain Shotover, Act I
• Ellie Dunn, Act II

1920s [ edit ]

• As quoted in George Bernard Shaw's "Prefaces" in English Prisons Under Local Government , Sidney and Beatrice Webb , London: Longmans, Green & Co (1922) pp. 31-32
• Preface to Saint Joan : A Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923)
• Saint Joan : A Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923) - Full text online
• Saint Joan : A Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923)
• Quote about Italy's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia in Socialism and Superior Brains: The Political Thought of Bernard Shaw by Gareth Griffith (1993) p. 267.
• As Quoted in London Morning Post, (Dec. 3, 1925)
• Letter from G. Bernard Shaw to a friend, "Bernard Shaw's Defence of Mussolini," (Feb. 7, 1927)
• As quoted in, Socialism and Superior Brains: The Political Thought of Bernard Shaw , Gareth Griffith, Routledge, (2002) p. 253, Manchester Guardian (1927)
• "Socialism urged to find dictator," Berkeley Daily Gazette (Nov. 30, 1927)
• The Apple Cart (1928) Preface
• The Apple Cart (1928), Act I
• The Apple Cart (1928), Act II
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide: To Socialism and Capitalism. p. 219.
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide: To Socialism and Capitalism. p. 456.
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide: To Socialism and Capitalism , New York: NY, Brentano (1928) p. 670.
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide To Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism, and Fascism (1928)
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism , Chapter 8 (1928)
• The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism , Chapter 82 (1928)
• Reply to T. E. Lawrence who complained of press attention.
• Quoted by Harry Kessler in his diary, 14 November 1929

Back to Methuselah (1921) [ edit ]

• Is there any hope in education?
• A Touchstone For Dogma
• The Serpent , in Pt. I : In the Beginning, Act I
• This quote is sometimes misattributed to Robert F. Kennedy . It is often paraphrased slightly in a few different ways, including: You see things as they are and ask, "Why?" I dream things as they never were and ask, "Why not?"
• The Serpent, in Pt I : In the Beginning
• The Serpent, in Pt. I, Act I
• The Serpent, Adam, and Eve, in Pt. I, Act I
• Eve to Cain, in Pt. I, Act II
• Franklyn, in Pt. II : The Gospel of the Brothers Barnabas
• Confucius, in Pt. III : The Thing Happens
• Pt. V : As Far as Thought Can Reach
• Pt. V; see also the later phrasing of Malcolm Fraser , "life wasn't meant to be easy"
• The She-Ancient, in Pt. V
• The He-Ancient, in Pt. V
• Acis, in Pt. V
• The Serpent, in Pt. V
• Lilith , in Pt. V
• Lilith, in Pt. V
• They have redeemed themselves from their vileness, and turned away from their sins. Best of all, they are still not satisfied : the impulse I gave them in that day when I sundered myself in twain and launched Man and Woman on the earth still urges them: after passing a million goals they press on to the goal of redemption from the flesh, to the vortex freed from matter, to the whirlpool in pure intelligence that, when the world began, was a whirlpool in pure force.
• I can wait: waiting and patience mean nothing to the eternal. I gave the woman the greatest of gifts: curiosity . By that her seed has been saved from my wrath; for I also am curious; and I have waited always to see what they will do tomorrow.

1930s [ edit ]

• Our Theatres In The Nineties (1930)
• New York Times (19 December 1930) remarks on Sinclair Lewis receiving the Nobel Prize
• Dimitry Dazhin, "A World Genius" "A World Genius" Soviet Military Review , March 1970, p. 4, (1931)
• When asked about his impression on Gandhi, 1931, as quoted in D. G. Tendulkar, Mahatma: Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1952), vol. 3, p. 166.
• Paramount British Pictures, March 1931
• "Rungs of the Ladder" , BBC Radio broadcast, 11 July 1932
• As quoted in Socialism and Superior Brains: The Political Thought of Bernard Shaw , Gareth Griffith, Routledge (1993) p. 264. Originally from Bernard Shaw, The News Chronicle , "The Blackshirt Challenge," (Jan. 17, 1934).
• Speech at New York (11 April 1933)
• "Shaw Heaps Praise upon the Dictators: While Parliaments Get Nowhere, He Says, Mussolini and Stalin Do Things," New York Times (Dec. 10, 1933), Shaw's lecture before the Fabian Society in London called "The Politics of Unpolitical Animals." (Nov. 23, 1933)
• "George Bernard Shaw reopens capital punishment controversy", Paramount British Pictures (March 5, 1931)
• As quoted in "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Report and A Discussion", G.B. Shaw, J.M. Keynes et al., London, The New Statesman and Nation , (1934) p. 47. Also reported in Political Pilgrams : Western Intellectuals in Search of the Good Society , Paul Hollander , New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers (1998) p. 169
• As quoted in "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Report and A Discussion", G.B. Shaw, J.M. Keynes et al., London, The New Statesman and Nation , (1934) p. 40
• As quoted in "Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Report and A Discussion", G.B. Shaw, J.M. Keynes et al., London, The New Statesman and Nation , (1934) p. 26
• Listener (A BBC Magazine), London, February 1934
• From an interview in 1935. James Curran, Anthony Smith & Pauline Wingate, ed (1987). Impacts and Influences: Media Power in the Twentieth Century . Taylor & Francis. pp. 90-91. ISBN 978-0-416-00612-4 .   , George Bernard Shaw Speaks on Hitler and Germany 1935 (video)
• About the Treaty of Versailles in 1935. George Bernard Shaw Speaks on Hitler and Germany 1935 (video)
• Letter to Katharine Cornell , circa 1936; as quoted in [ https://archive.org/details/leadingladyworld00mose/page/187/mode/2up Leading Lady : The World and Theatre of Katharine Cornell (1978) by Tad Mosel , p. 187
• As quoted in Bernard Shaw: Collected Letters 1926-1950 , D.H. Laurence, editor, London, UK, 1988, p. 493, letter to Beatrice Webb (1938)

On the Rocks (1933) [ edit ]

• Preface; Extermination
• Ignoring the satirical elements of Shaw's rhetoric, and that he is presenting many arguments of sometimes questionable sincerity for the "humane" execution of criminals , the last sentence here has sometimes been misquoted as if it as part of an argument for exterminations for the sake of eugenics , by preceding it with a selected portion of a statement later in the essay: "If we desire a certain type of civilization, we must exterminate the sort of people who do not fit into it ... Extermination must be put on a scientific basis if it is ever to be carried out humanely and apologetically as well as thoroughly".
• Preface; The Sacredness of Human Life
• Preface; Previous Attempts Miss the Point.
• Preface; Cruelty's Excuses
• Preface, Leading Case of Jesus Christ
• Pilate, as portrayed in Preface, Difference Between Reader And Spectator
• Jesus, as portrayed in Preface, Difference Between Reader And Spectator
• Preface, The Sacredness Of Criticism

1940s and later [ edit ]

• letter, 24 June 1930, to Frank Harris "To Frank Harris on Sex in Biography" Sixteen Self Sketches (1949)
• "The Play of Ideas", New Statesman (6 May 1950)
• Letter to the Reverend Ensor Walters (1933), as quoted in Bernard Shaw : Collected Letters, 1926-1950 (1988) by Dan H. Laurence, p. 305
• Everybody's Political What's What (1944), Ch. 30, p. 256
• Everybody's Political What's What (1944)
• As quoted in the Evening Herald in Dublin, Ireland (February 3, 1948), reprinted in Economic Council Letter , Issue 278, Part 397 (1952), p. 1807 [1]
• As quoted in Days with Bernard Shaw (1949) by Stephen Winsten
• As quoted in Bernard Shaw : The Lure of Fantasy (1991) by Michael Holroyd
• Preface to English Prisons Under Local Government by Sydney and Beatrice Webb (1922)
• Preface to London music in 1888-89 as heard by Corno di Bassetto (1937)
• Preface to Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw: A Correspondence (1931)
• The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles , Act 2 (1934)
• George Bernard Shaw, quoted by Hesketh Pearson, George Bernard Shaw: His Life and Personality, 1942
• Everybody's Political What's What? (ebook, must be borrowed) (1944), Chapter XXXVII: Creed and Conduct, p. 330

Attributed [ edit ]

• The quotation is thought to derive from an Oscar Wilde short story, where the following appears: "Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English, and was an excellent example of the fact that we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language" (Wilde, "The Canterville Ghost", 1887). See Rees, Nigel ( 14 September 2000 ). "Quote... Unquote": Current Most Frequently Asked Questions" (BBC Radio 4 programme webpages). Accessed 13 December 2022.
• Widely attributed to Shaw from the 1970s onward, but not known to exist in his published works. It is in keeping with some of his sardonic statements about the purposes and effectiveness of schools. First known attribution in print is in Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner's Teaching as a Subversive Activity (1971), "G. B. Shaw's line that the only time his education was interrupted was when he was in school captures the sense of this alienation."
• Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire. (attributed by George Melly in 1962, see Dancing Is a Perpendicular Expression of a Horizontal Desire . Quote Investigator ..

Disputed [ edit ]

• Credited to Shaw in the lead in to the mockumentary C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004) and other recent works, but this or slight variants of it are also sometimes attributed to W. C. Fields , Charlie Chaplin , and Oscar Wilde . It might possibly be derived from Shaw's statement in John Bull's Other Island (1907): " My way of joking is to tell the truth. It's the funniest joke in the world. "
• Another possibility is that it is derived from Shaw's characteristic of Mark Twain: "He has to put things in such a way as to make people who would otherwise hang him believe he is joking."
• If you are going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh. Otherwise, they'll kill you.
• If you're going to tell people the truth, you'd better make them laugh. Otherwise, they'll kill you.
• Anecdote presented in "Isadore Duncan : Dancer as Plaything of Fate" in A Century of Sundays : 100 years of Breaking News in the Sunday Papers (2006), by Nadine Dreyer, p. 65 ; the anecdote provided here does not cite earlier sources, and though widely attributed to an exchange between Duncan and Shaw, the earliest form of it yet located is in 10,000 Jokes, Toasts & Stories (1939) by Lewis & Faye Copeland, which simply has an unidentified woman offering to have a child with Shaw, saying "think of the child with your brains and my beauty" and him replying " But what if he were to have your brains and my beauty? "
• Similar remarks are also attributed to Winston Churchill , Groucho Marx and to Mark Twain
• Interview (April 1935), as quoted in The Genuine Islam , Vol. 1 (January 1936). A portion of the statement also appears quoted in The Islamic Review , Vol. 24 (1936) edited by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din , p. 263
• Interview (April 1935) in The Genuine Islam , Vol. 1, No. 8 (1936), as quoted at "A Shavian and a Theologian" at World Islamic Mission

Misattributed [ edit ]

• George Bernard Shaw never said these words, but Charles F. Brannan did. [2]
• Often quoted as: Irish history is something no Englishman should forget and no Irishman should remember.
• Lin Yutang , The Importance of Living (1937), p. 17
• "The role of the character initiating the proposal in this anecdote has been assigned to George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, Groucho Marx, Mark Twain, W. C. Fields, Bertrand Russell, H.G. Wells, Woodrow Wilson and others. However, the earliest example of this basic story found by QI did not spotlight any of the persons just listed [...]
• [...] QI hypothesizes that this anecdote began as a fictional tale that was intended to be humorous with an edge of antagonism. The story was retold for decades. Famous men were substituted into the role of the individual making the proposition. Occasionally, the individual who received the proposition was also described as famous, but typically she remained unidentified.
• Someone sends me a clipping from Columnist Lyons with this honey:
• Quote investigator cited 2013-07-10
• (Version given in Irrepressible Churchill: A Treasury of Winston Churchill's Wit by Kay Halle, 1966)
• Apocryphal, from 1946. See discussion at Winston Churchill#Misattributed , and detailed discussion at " Here are Two Tickets for the Opening of My Play. Bring a Friend—If You Have One ", Garson O'Toole, Quote Investigator , (March 25, 2012)
• From Why You Should Never be a Christian (1987) by Ishaq 'Kunle Sanni and ‎Dawood Ayodele Amoo.
• Widely attributed to Shaw, this quotation is actually of unknown origin.
• The attribution to Shaw comes from Leadership Skills for Managers (2000) by Marlene Caroselli, p. 71. But this quote seems more likely to come from William H. Whyte. The Biggest Problem in Communication Is the Illusion That It Has Taken Place . Quote Investigator ( 2014-08-31 ). Retrieved on 2015-11-09.
• H. W. Shaw ( Josh Billings ), as quoted in Scientific American , Vol. 31 (1874), p. 121, and in dictionaries of quotations such as Excellent Quotations for Home and School (1890) by Julia B. Hoitt, p. 117 and Many Thoughts of Many Minds: A Treasury of Quotations from the Literature of Every Land and Every Age (1896) by Louis Klopsch, p. 266 .
• Initially attributed to Cyrus S. Ching in Time , Vol. 56 (1950), p. 21. Also attributed to Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln: Quote Investigator July 8, 2017.

Quotes about Shaw [ edit ]

• James Agate , diary entry (10 March 1933)
• Isabel Allende Interview
• Jacques Barzun , in "Bernard Shaw in Twilight" in The Kenyon Review (Summer 1943)
• Jacques Barzun "Bernard Shaw," in A Jacques Barzun Reader: Selections from his works (2002), p. 231
• Max Beerbohm , in "A Cursory Conspectus of G. B. S." in The Saturday Review of Politics, Science and Art (2 November 1901)
• Jorge Luis Borges , Obra Completa (1996), Vol. IV, p. 487
• Jorge Luis Borges , Obra Completa (1996), Vol. II, p. 400
• John Campbell , The Independent , as quoted in Penguin Classics edition of Plays Unpleasant (1946)
• John Carey , The Sunday Times , as quoted in Penguin Classics edition of Plays Unpleasant (1946)
• G. K. Chesterton , commenting on twenty years of debate with Shaw on political, religious and other social issues.
• G. K. Chesterton : George Bernard Shaw . 1909. p. 174.  
• John Maynard Keynes , "One of Wells' Worlds" (Review of the World of William Clissold") in The New Republic (1 February 1927)
• John Maynard Keynes ,"Stalin-Wells Talk: The Verbatim Report and A Discussion", G.B. Shaw, J.M. Keynes et al., London, The New Statesman and Nation , (1934) p. 34
• C. S. Lewis , in "Comedian of Highest Order", in The Mark Twain Journal , Vol. 9, no. 4 (Summer 1954), p. 10
• Thomas Mann , as quoted in Penguin Classics edition of Plays Unpleasant (1946)
• Kingsley Martin , Editor: A Second Volume of Autobiography, 1931-45 (1968), p. 110
• Kingsley Martin , Editor: A Second Volume of Autobiography, 1931-45 (1968), p. 112
• J. B. Priestley , The War - And After , in Horizon magazine (January 1940), reprinted in War Decade : An Anthology of the 1940s (1989) by Andrew Sinclair
• Bertrand Russell , Portraits from Memory and Other Essays (1956)
• Bertrand Russell , in an interview with David Susskind (10 June 1962)
• William Saroyan , Hello Out There (1941)
• Mark Twain , after meeting Shaw in 1907
• Beatrice Webb 's diary (1927), quoted in Beatrice Webb, Diaries: 1924-1932 , ed. Margaret Cole (1952), p. 155
• H. G. Wells , The Way The World Is Going (1929), p. 279
• Rebecca West , The Strange Necessity . Doubleday, Doran, Incorporated, 1928 (pp. 216-217).
• Colin Wilson in The Books In My Life , p. 188

See also [ edit ]

External links [ edit ].

• Works by or about George Bernard Shaw at the Internet Archive]
• Works by George Bernard Shaw at Project Gutenberg
• Works by George Bernard Shaw at Project Gutenberg Australia
• George Bernard Shaw on IMDb
• International Shaw Society , includes a chronology of Shaw's works
• The Shaw Society, UK, established in 1941
• The Bernard Shaw Society, New York
• Shaw Chicago Theater A theater dedicated to the works of Shaw & his contemporaries.
• Shaw Festival Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada theatre that specializes in plays by Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries and plays about his era (1856-1950)
• The Nobel Prize Biography on Shaw , From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901–1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam (1969)
• Dan H. Laurence/Shaw Collection in the University of Guelph . Archived from the original on 30 June 2009 .
• Michael Holroyd ( July 19, 2006 ). Send for Shaw, not Shakespeare . The Times Literary Supplement . Archived from the original on 29 September 2006 .
• Sunder Katwala (July 26, 2006). "Artist of the impossible" . Guardian Comment.  
• George Bernard Shaw Timeline . Archived from the original on 8 Jule 2008.
• Bernard Shaw papers at LSE Archives . Archived from the original on 30 June 2002 .

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Outrun Change

We need to learn quickly to keep up with the massive change around us so we don't get run over. We need to outrun change.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

That quote from George Bernard Shaw is also the title of a post pondering its meaning at Philosiblog.

The focus of the discussion is we must be willing to change our mind, especially our opinion of ourselves, if we are going to make progress toward the goals we value.

Consider this:

To move beyond where you are requires change. Progress is what we call that motion when it is in a desired direction (or at least desired to the person calling it progress). That requires us to be willing to change our minds when the errors in our thoughts are pointed out to us. If we are unwilling to change our minds, there is nothing which can be done for us, right? This quote is about examining the facts, and changing our opinions when the facts no longer support our prior thoughts or beliefs.

You can take this many directions. Mr. Philosiblog ponders that we need to change our negative opinions of ourselves and the world around us in order to make progress.

Coping with change requires the ability to change our mind

I’ll expand the idea to say we need to review the facts in the rapidly changing world that surrounds us. We may find facts have changed since we last pondered any situation.

If we find any facts that have changed drastically, we need to be willing to change our mind to keep up with the brand new reality.

That can get painful.

If we don’t change our mind, the changing realities will give us a major surprise when they overwhelm us.

We must be constantly scanning the environment. We must be willing to change our minds.

3 thoughts on ““Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.””

I know this post is from 2013, but it is still so timely. Your arguments all make perfect sense to me; I’m a retired RN, & BOY do I see things changing in my field quickly! My email is below should you wish to contact me in future.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” This quote from George Bernard Shaw is one of my most favorites & the fact it was ALREADY printed at the beginning of this blog is no coincidence. Because people it is TRUTH. Read it Then Read it again. Like I said, Truth. TRUTH!!! It’s a good word. Hang on to it. Meditate on it. Have it be your mantra.. Name your Dog Truth. Hell, name your Children Truth!!! It’s a good name. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks so much for your comments.

Truth can be painful. Truth can be uncomfortable. If we deny truth, there will be more pain and more discomfort.

Thanks for the reminder.

And thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.

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Progress Is Impossible Without Change

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One thing is sure in life; that progress is impossible without change. But no matter what you do, nothing remains the same forever. To move beyond where you are, it requires getting out of your comfort zone. And growth is what is called the motion you make in a chosen or required direction.

Would you allow your mind and your beliefs to change and grow as new facts are revealed? Or would you resist transformation and maintain a closed mindset? How can you cultivate a more open outlook and receive change in your world? And just how can you apply it in your life?

In my life, I often heard that the reason many of us resist change is that we are afraid of losing something. The reasons are plenty. It may be the fear of losing the familiar, fear of losing control, or merely the distress of losing someone and find ourselves alone.

On the other hand, when moving beyond where you are, you might see new possibilities or things you have to gain. You have to realize that change is a constant. Rather than running away from it, you should entirely and intentionally embrace it because you might live a more satisfying and full life.

But it requires you to be willing to change your mind and belief system. We are only human, and we do make mistakes. When you are unwilling to change your mindset, you stagnate. Remember that your brain is a muscle and it also has to be exercised.

Being Stubborn Blocks Change

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

You have to examine the facts. The reason is that you have no choice than changing your opinions when evidence or proofs no longer support your thoughts or belief system. Stay away from being obstinate in your ways. It will swallow you up or anything else that does not evolve, grow, change, progress and transform. So accept that things do change!

All of us are guilty of being stubborn or have a fixed mind at times. And yes, it takes a lot of courage, strength and self-discipline to admit that you are wrong or allow progress to happen. But what is life without a change of heart or a change of mind?

Considering Possibilities is Key to Change Centuries ago, people believed in a flat Earth, and that the horizon was the end of the world, but with time and evidence, they eventually changed their minds. The old ideas and beliefs finally died out. Today, everyone recognizes the roundness of our planet and the Sun which is at the center of our Solar System, as well as the galaxy we live in, the ‘Milky Way.’

From the dawn of time, we have believed all sorts of things. But change along with progress and scientists have worked in transforming many of our misconceptions. So, we may have to consider that changes and getting out of our comfort zone are needed to grow and have a better life.

For ages, many thought that flying could happen while others believed it was impossible or insane. Eventually, in 1903, civilization went from successfully flying the first operated airplane to walking on the moon in 1969. All of it happening in the short span of sixty-six years.

Progress is Impossible without Change So, you see that nothing is impossible as long as your dreams still glide in your head. A creative spirit is vital for you to change, grow and progress. Never stop dreaming since the opportunities are endless. But if you refuse to change your mindset, your beliefs, or your routine, you will never be able to move forward beyond your false impressions.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Change is the natural order of the Universe. Many of us are unmotivated and lost. Many young people have no idea what to do when arriving at the end of their teenage years and getting into adulthood. Stop strolling through life trying to be someone else. Be unique. Find and live your true identity. Take action to change and grow rather than letting the world tell you who you are.

Grasp Change with Both Hands Again, you have to grasp change. Do not let doubt, fear or failure command the course you want to travel on the roadmap of your life. Take some risks instead of playing it safe. And you may be surprised by what you might acquire once leaving your comfort zone. You might experience all that life has to offer you.

Can you imagine how hard it would be to make a change, grow and progress in your life if you refuse to let go of misconceptions? It is like when someone believes they are overweight and no one can love them. How could they accept somebody that express care for them?

If something is not working, you have to change your mindset. Many of us know things which are not true. Yet we defend them because we accept them as real. It is easy to be influenced by the doubts or unbelief of a relative or friend. They can even push you to think that your ideas are impossible.

But have you ever considered the possibility that they might be wrong?

Change and Growth – A Mark of Success You need to be in the driver’s seat when you seek change, growth, progress or anything else in life. Otherwise, you are going to accept an average belief system and never move beyond what could be.

You have to stand up for yourself, but also willing to change and get out of your area of comfort; otherwise, you are not going to accomplish anything you desire.

Change and growth are a mark of success. It does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one next time. Accept failure as a part of success also. When you fail, you learn from your mistakes, and you can then identify what you did and not repeat them.

Basically, you should not fear to make a change to grow and develop but rather be afraid of stagnating and not learning anything new.

Accept Change You must realize that things change and never remain as it is. What you may not be willing to accept or consider is that you have to change as well. But you should! Try to recognize which changes will lead you to progress or growth. Become aware of the facts so that you can change for the better.

Let go of the shame and embrace the change you have to make because progress is impossible without it. Changes will be what create the person you want to be. So, you can contribute to the world rather than expecting the world to provide for you. I wish you a great transformation!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9820587

Organizational Change by Harsh Pathak

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Concept of Change

Chapter outline.

Introduction

Meaning of Organisational Change

Nature of Organisational Change

Pressure for Change

Planned Change

Types of Planned Change

Levels of Change

Change Cycle

Organisational Barriers to Change

Performance-driven Organisational Change

Rate of Change

Different States of Change

Creating Change

Implementation of Change

General Guidelines for Effective Change

Review Questions

“Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything.”

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we harden.”

3.1 INTRODUCTION

We live in an age of transition. What is constant is change. It has become an inescapable ...

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WE can CHANGE

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." - George Bernard Shaw

On April 22nd, this years Earth Day, I was searching for a quote that would capture it all. I chose the above quote by George Bernard Shaw, as it captures exactly that, the two things most vital, to LIFE on Earth:  Progress  and  Change of Mind .

Both those things, are of the very things that matter most when we seek to achieve  Change. 

I realised that both Progress and Change of Mind are the basis of all our fights, may it be the fight to protect our Earth, which is vital to Life as we know it, may it be the fight for Human Rights, Animal Rights, or Childrens Rights, the fight against Hunger or the fight for Equality, or even the private battles each of us are facing on a daily basis; there can be no change, no progress, without a change of mind. 

Change of Mind is the way to Progress, and Change of Mind is, itself, a battle.

If we manage to change our minds, that is progress. If we act on it, that, again, is progress. 

Change of Mind means listening, arguing, reading, it means life. It means life with others. It means being mindful to the things around us. It means being open minded. It means Interest and Support.

It means experiencing life, not just next to each other, but with each other.

If we do that, we can change not just our own mind, but that of others. If we do that, WE can CHANGE. 

View the discussion thread.

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The learning network | e.l.l. practice + prompt | changing your mind.

E.L.L. Practice + Prompt | Changing Your Mind

Note: We invite any English Language Learner student 13 years or older to post comments in response to the writing prompts in this post.

First, think of a time when you changed your mind about something after you learned new information. For example, did you ever have a certain outlook about a place like a school, neighborhood or city when you first got there, but changed your mind after you spent more time there?

Second, read this passage from the Op-Ed essay “ The Virtue of Contradicting Ourselves .” Then answer the questions.

Intelligence is often defined as the ability to learn, and a sign of learning is changing your views over time. When historians and political scientists rate the presidents throughout history, the most effective ones turn out to be the most open-minded. This is true of both conservative and liberal presidents. Abraham Lincoln was a flip-flopper: He started out pro-slavery before abolishing it. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a flip-flopper, too: Elected on a platform of balancing the budget, he substantially increased spending with his New Deal. One person’s flip-flopping is another’s enlightenment. Just as we would fear voting for candidates who changed their minds constantly, we should be wary of electing anyone who fails to evolve. “Progress is impossible without change,” George Bernard Shaw observed, “and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

Third, answer the following writing prompt and question and, if you are 13 or older, post your answers to our blog.

The beginning of this post asked you to think about a time when you changed your mind. Please write about it now. You can use this sentence frame:

I used to think _________. Then I learned _________. Now I think _________.

Find many more Ideas for English Language Learners.

What's Next

All Progression is Impossible Without Change

Change is a constant in life. We can embrace it or resist it, but ultimately it’s going to happen. In the business world, change is especially important and often necessary for survival.

Change is like Marmite (or Vegemite), you either love it or we hate it. Admittedly, change isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the constants in life that’ll happen to us all, whether we embrace it or not. Change is like cold and wet Scottish weather in winter. It’s inevitable!

Without change, it would be senseless to have hope or expectations for future innovations and improvements.

Change is an inevitable part of life, and all progression is impossible without change. You can either resist change and potentially get bowled over by it, or you can choose to co-operate with it, accept it, and learn to benefit from it.

To achieve goals you’ve never achieved before, you must start doing things you’ve never done before. When you make peace with the inevitability of change, you’ll begin to see it as an opportunity for personal growth and development. If you’re not prepared to embrace change openly, you might end up being left behind.

So how do you prepare yourself for change?

1. remain open-minded and flexible..

Flexibility is the key to stability. Change can be daunting, but it’s important to remain open to new possibilities. Be prepared to make adjustments as needed, and don’t hold onto past successes (or failures) too tightly. Freedom can be found in the flexibility and ease with which you navigate your way through change.

2. Stay Informed about Current Developments.

Keep up with the latest news about whatever is relevant to your immediate circumstances and watch out for imminent changes. This will help you anticipate your future needs. Stay informed, but also be wise enough to decipher between what is noise and what is real. Always stay with the times and keep evolving.

3. Remain Proactive Instead of Reactive.

When it comes to change, it’s better to be ahead of the curve rather than play catch-up later on. Anticipate challenges and opportunities as they arise and plan ahead accordingly. Always be the creator of your circumstances rather than a victim of consequence. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

Many people resist change out of fear or stubbornness. It’s important to remember that embracing change is not only necessary but also inevitable. With this mindset, you can sensibly prepare yourself for the future and actively embrace all of the changes that WILL come your way. Life is movement and change. The more change there is, the more flexibility is required. The more flexible you are, the easier you’ll find it to change.

Those who take responsibility for initiating change will be far better prepared to manage all future, inevitable changes. Some changes look negative on the surface but usually end up creating space in your life for something new to emerge.

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