--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Enlightenment faith that things are…" description: "\"The Enlightenment faith that things are getting a little bit better each decade becomes difficult to support. People recognized that there had just bee..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/christine-jennings-20527_bits_the-enlightenment-faith-that-things-are_2972384.jpg" --- # The Enlightenment faith that things are getting a little… ![“The Enlightenment faith that things are getting a little bit better each decade becomes difficult to support. People recognized that there had just been a war that was worse than the war of 1812, and worse than the Revolution; things were clearly not getting better and better.” quote by Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/christine-jennings-20527_bits_the-enlightenment-faith-that-things-are_2972384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/christine-jennings-20527_bits_the-enlightenment-faith-that-things-are_2972384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/christine-jennings-20527_bits_the-enlightenment-faith-that-things-are_2972384.jpg) > “The Enlightenment faith that things are getting a little bit better each decade becomes difficult to support. People recognized that there had just been a war that was worse than the war of 1812, and worse than the Revolution; things were clearly not getting better and better.” [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism about continual improvement falters when history shows repeated, worsening conflicts. **In simple terms:** Hope for progress can be false when wars get worse. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about linear progress. Themes history optimism disillusionment Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical historical When to use this quote - political analysis - education curricula - media critique - public discourse Key Concepts historical cycles social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports or contradicts the claim of declining progress? - How can societies balance optimism with realistic appraisal? A Different Perspective The statement may ignore advances in health, technology, and human rights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1812 Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1812-worse-4583296/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Decade Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decade-difficult-4583297/) [Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Get better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-better/) [Getting better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better/) [Getting Better And Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better-and-better/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of 1812](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-1812/) [War Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-worse-302853/) [Worse Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-revolution-4583298/) [Worse War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-war-793982/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you understand, Jakob?” the apothecary whispered. “This isn’t war; this is worse. The war was fought according to bloody rules, but faith is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-p-tzsch/do-you-understand-jakob-the-apothecary-whispered-this-isn-t-war-this/) [Oliver Pötzsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-p-tzsch/) > [The fear of war is worse than war itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-fear-of-war-is-worse-than-war-itself/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/war-is-an-ugly-thing-but-not-the-ugliest-of-things-the-decayed-and-4/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Civil strife is as much a greater evil than a concerted war effort as war itself is worse than peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/civil-strife-is-as-much-a-greater-evil-than-a-concerted-war-effort-as/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) > [“How big a war?" "A worse one than the one fifty years ago, I expect," said Cheery. "I don't recall people talking about that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/how-big-a-war-a-worse-one-than-the-one-fifty-years-ago-i-expect-said/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/war-is-an-ugly-thing-but-not-the-ugliest-of-things-the-decayed-and-3/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I think the Cold War was worse for Africa than colonialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/i-think-the-cold-war-was-worse-for-africa-than-colonialism/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [“I have seen something of the horrors of war, and much too much of the worse horrors of peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/i-have-seen-something-of-the-horrors-of-war-and-much-too-much-of-the/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/war-is-an-ugly-thing-but-not-the-ugliest-of-things-the-decayed-and-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Naturally the common people don't want war. . . but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine policy, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/naturally-the-common-people-don-t-want-war-but-after-all-it-is-the-2/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [The United States has used force abroad more than 130 times, but has only declared war five times - the War of 1812, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/the-united-states-has-used-force-abroad-more-than-130-times-but-has/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [I don't know about you, but where I went to school, Money Management 101 wasn't offered. Instead we learned about the War of 1812,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/i-don-t-know-about-you-but-where-i-went-to-school-money-management/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [Naturally, the common people don't want war ... but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/naturally-the-common-people-don-t-want-war-but-after-all-it-is-the/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [Very little is known about the War of 1812 because the Americans lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nicol/very-little-is-known-about-the-war-of-1812-because-the-americans-lost/) [Eric Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nicol/) > [The meaning of life cannot be told; it has to happen to a person ... To speak as though it were an objective knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-progoff/the-meaning-of-life-cannot-be-told-it-has-to-happen-to-a-person-to/) [Ira Progoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-progoff/) ## More by Christine Jennings > [Utopian fiction is really boring. I had to read a lot of it, and it's not that much fun. But they're fascinating to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopian-fiction-is-really-boring-i-had-to-read-a-lot-of-it-and-it-s/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The fatal flaw of most utopian visions is that they're fundamentally static, and that's not a comfortable place for humans to live. Fourier was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-fatal-flaw-of-most-utopian-visions-is-that-they-re-fundamentally/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [There are two instances I studied in which a community moved, amazingly, into an preexisting village built by other, earlier communalists. The Rappites were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/there-are-two-instances-i-studied-in-which-a-community-moved/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The religious and irreligious are agreeing with each other almost all the time. Their rhetoric is the same, and their plans are the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-religious-and-irreligious-are-agreeing-with-each-other-almost-all/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [These weren't college kids on acid. They were preachers, and bankers, and farmers, and the salt of American society subscribing to ideas that now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/these-weren-t-college-kids-on-acid-they-were-preachers-and-bankers/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The thought was, 'We're going to go to California, where the soil is black and ten feet deep, and there are no rocks, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-thought-was-we-re-going-to-go-to-california-where-the-soil-is/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [But if you'd only ever lived in small wooden house in the middle of wilderness, it sounded much better. Especially because it provided intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/but-if-you-d-only-ever-lived-in-small-wooden-house-in-the-middle-of/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Atheist isn't really the right word because they tended to believe in some sort of Enlightenment, capital 'N' Nature kind of god. But these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/atheist-isn-t-really-the-right-word-because-they-tended-to-believe-in/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [I was really interested in 20th century communalism and alternative communities, the boom of communes in the 60s and 70s. That led me back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/i-was-really-interested-in-20th-century-communalism-and-alternative/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Because the utopian's worldview was framed around moving toward this perfected future, it helped stimulate the private exertions that add up to social progress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/because-the-utopian-s-worldview-was-framed-around-moving-toward-this/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The thing that had fueled these utopian communities was a literal belief, and not just a general sense of optimism, that the earth was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-thing-that-had-fueled-these-utopian-communities-was-a-literal/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [ They \[Oneida people\] didn't want to fix problems one at a time. If someone invited them to a feminist convention, their answer would have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/they-oneida-people-didn-t-want-to-fix-problems-one-at-a-time-if/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Utopians don't say, 'The world's corrupt, women make less money, people of color are oppressed at every turn.' You don't list the problems of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopians-don-t-say-the-world-s-corrupt-women-make-less-money-people/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [don't think I should be in the business of making big pronouncements about where we are now, but I would say that dissatisfaction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/don-t-think-i-should-be-in-the-business-of-making-big-pronouncements/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The secular utopians basically said the exact same thing, they just took the Bible out of the equation. The religious and the secular groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-secular-utopians-basically-said-the-exact-same-thing-they-just/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) [Explore all 30 Christine Jennings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [He referred to me as an 'insufferable puffed-up prat'. This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [We, as pop stars, are people not androids. We’ve got views. I’ve got opinions and I don’t see why I shouldn’t use a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-meddows-taylor/we-as-pop-stars-are-people-not-androids-we-ve-got-views-i-ve-got/) [Roger Meddows Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-meddows-taylor/) > [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) [Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Enlightenment faith that things are getting a little bit better each decade becomes difficult to support. 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