--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Progress was a labyrinth ... people…" description: "\"Progress was a labyrinth ... people plunging blindly in and then rushing wildly back, shouting that they had found it ... the invisible king-the élan v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_book_progress-was-a-labyrinth-people-plunging_2703115.jpg" --- # Progress was a labyrinth ... people plunging blindly in… ![“Progress was a labyrinth ... people plunging blindly in and then rushing wildly back, shouting that they had found it ... the invisible king-the élan vital-the principle of evolution ... writing a book, starting a war, founding a school.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_book_progress-was-a-labyrinth-people-plunging_2703115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_book_progress-was-a-labyrinth-people-plunging_2703115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_book_progress-was-a-labyrinth-people-plunging_2703115.jpg) > “Progress was a labyrinth ... people plunging blindly in and then rushing wildly back, shouting that they had found it ... the invisible king-the élan vital-the principle of evolution ... writing a book, starting a war, founding a school.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human endeavors are chaotic, searching for meaning in unseen forces that drive evolution and creation. **In simple terms:** People chase hidden forces that drive actions. Key Takeaway Recognize the unseen drives behind actions. Themes search meaning evolution creation Mood reflective curious Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - writing a book - starting a war - founding a school - personal projects Key Concepts philosophy psychology systems theory Questions to Reflect On - What invisible forces guide your major decisions? - How do you balance chaos and purpose? A Different Perspective The metaphor may over‑generalize complex motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blindly Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blindly-rushing-2748433/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Founding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Invisible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Labyrinth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labyrinth/) [Labyrinth People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labyrinth-people-2748431/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plunging Blindly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plunging-blindly-2748432/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress Labyrinth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-labyrinth-2748430/) [Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rushing/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Shouting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouting/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/) ## Related quotes > [Philosophy became a gloomy science, in the labyrinth of which people vainly tried to find the exit, called The Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-joseph-schwartz/philosophy-became-a-gloomy-science-in-the-labyrinth-of-which-people/) [Edward Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-joseph-schwartz/) > [“He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want -- not to be admired, as he had feared; not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-found-something-that-he-wanted-had-always-wanted-and-always-would/) [F. 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Our love has been the thread through the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/clare-i-want-to-tell-you-again-i-love-you-our-love-has-been-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once I'd worked out that I couldn't possibly expect people to enjoy a monstrous, 3000-page book, I realised I could in fact create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/once-i-d-worked-out-that-i-couldn-t-possibly-expect-people-to-enjoy-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [There are two famous labyrinths where our reason very often goes astray. One concerns the great question of the free and the necessary, above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gottfried-leibniz/there-are-two-famous-labyrinths-where-our-reason-very-often-goes/) [Gottfried Leibniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gottfried-leibniz/) > [In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/in-these-years-we-are-witnessing-the-gigantic-spectacle-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/) [Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/) > [“A story is a labyrinth, it looks as if there were several ways to go, but only one is right, and there's a nasty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/a-story-is-a-labyrinth-it-looks-as-if-there-were-several-ways-to-go/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [I wonder why life is like a labyrinth..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wonder-why-life-is-like-a-labyrinth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. 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