Achievement Quote by Jane Addams
“We all know that each generation has its own test, the contemporaneous and current standard by which alone it can adequately judge of its own moral achievements, and that it may not legitimately use a previous and less vigorous test. The advanced test must indeed include that which has already been attained; but if it includes no more, we shall fail to go forward, thinking complacently that we have "arrived" when in reality we have not yet started.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address at the National Women's Trade Union League, 1915
Each generation must judge itself by its own standards, not by outdated ones, while still building on past achievements to avoid complacency.
In simple terms: Judge by today’s standards, but keep building on past progress.
Key Takeaway
Use current values to guide progress, not past benchmarks.
Themes
progress
ethics
generational change
self‑assessment
complacency
Mood
reflective
critical
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education reform
- community activism
- personal growth
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
historical context
social evolution
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance respect for tradition with the need for new standards?
- What signs show we are becoming complacent?
A Different Perspective
Relying solely on past standards can stall innovation.
![“[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off the class associations with those labels, because we grew up, or I certainly grew up, feeling that, "Oh, there's literary fiction, and beneath that, there's these…” quote by Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg)
