--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human progress never rolls in on wheels…" description: "\"“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_human-progress_human-progress-never-rolls-in-on-wheels_714785.jpg" --- # Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability… ![“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is…” quote by Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_human-progress_human-progress-never-rolls-in-on-wheels_714785.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_human-progress_human-progress-never-rolls-in-on-wheels_714785.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/334/martin-luther-king-jr-2-1523_human-progress_human-progress-never-rolls-in-on-wheels_714785.jpg) > ““Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”” [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human advancement requires deliberate, collaborative effort with a higher purpose; idle time fuels stagnation. **In simple terms:** Progress needs hard work and purpose. Key Takeaway Act purposefully with others. Themes collaboration purpose time social change Mood determined inspired Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - community projects - policy advocacy - personal goal setting - volunteer work Key Concepts theology social activism Questions to Reflect On - How can you collaborate for change without religious framing? - What small actions make time productive? A Different Perspective Assumes belief in a divine partnership, which may not resonate with all. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-progress/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/time-itself-is-neutral-it-can-be-used-either-destructively-or/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We must use time creatively - and forever realize that the time is always hope to do great things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-must-use-time-creatively-and-forever-realize-that-the-time-is/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Time can be misconstrued in so many ways, but its importance should never be underestimated. It is with this that I decided to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-crisner-alcayaga/time-can-be-misconstrued-in-so-many-ways-but-its-importance-should/) [Joanne Crisner Alcayaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-crisner-alcayaga/) > [“We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-use-time-creatively-and-forever-realize-that-the-time-is-2/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We must use time creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-use-time-creatively/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Its my birthday today :D,happy and blessed that's wat I feel right now,greetings and gifts are good but the most wonderful is to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/its-my-birthday-today-d-happy-and-blessed-that-s-wat-i-feel-right-now/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I was an organizer in the Food, Agricultural and Tobacco Workers Union down in North Carolina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-lewis/i-was-an-organizer-in-the-food-agricultural-and-tobacco-workers-union/) [Al Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-lewis/) > [Time can be an ally or an enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/time-can-be-an-ally-or-an-enemy/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Without hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and realize that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/without-hard-work-time-itself-becomes-an-ally-of-the-primitive-forces/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Time can be an ally or an enemy. What it becomes depends entirely upon you, your goals, and your determination to use every available…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/time-can-be-an-ally-or-an-enemy-what-it-becomes-depends-entirely-upon/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Change the way you use your time, and you change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/change-the-way-you-use-your-time-and-you-change-your-life/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [Our current use of time is not rational. There is therefore no point in seeking marginal improvements in how we spend our time. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/our-current-use-of-time-is-not-rational-there-is-therefore-no-point/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [The ability to concentrate and to use time well is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-ability-to-concentrate-and-to-use-time-well-is-everything/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## More by Martin Luther King Jr > [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [I had a dreamthat you would just shut the fuck up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/i-had-a-dreamthat-you-would-just-shut-the-fuck-up/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/yes-if-you-want-to-say-that-i-was-a-drum-major-say-that-i-was-a-drum/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-must-forever-conduct-our-struggle-on-the-high-plane-of-dignity-and/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-may-be-true-that-the-law-cannot-make-a-man-love-me-but-it-can-stop/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/privileged-groups-seldom-give-up-their-privileges-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [God has set the type of marriage everywhere throughout the creation. Every creature seeks its perfection in another. The very heavens and earth picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/god-has-set-the-type-of-marriage-everywhere-throughout-the-creation/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [A nation that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/a-nation-that-continues-to-produce-soft-minded-men-purchases-its-own/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“It is not enough to say, 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/it-is-not-enough-to-say-we-must-not-wage-war-it-is-necessary-to-love/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“When, for decades, you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/when-for-decades-you-have-been-able-to-make-a-man-compromise-his/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/the-question-is-not-whether-we-will-be-extremists-but-what-kind-of/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Deep in our history of struggle for freedom, Canada was the North star”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/deep-in-our-history-of-struggle-for-freedom-canada-was-the-north-star/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/and-he-s-allowed-me-to-go-to-the-mountain-and-i-ve-looked-over-and-i/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-know-through-painful-experience-that-freedom-is-never-voluntarily/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) [Explore all 219 Martin Luther King Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More Human progress quotes > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [It is not the child as a physical but as a psychic being that can provide a strong impetus to the betterment of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-not-the-child-as-a-physical-but-as-a-psychic-being-that-can/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [War, and the preparation for war, are the two greatest obstacles to human progress, fostering a vicious cycle of arms buildups, violence and poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/war-and-the-preparation-for-war-are-the-two-greatest-obstacles-to/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Knowledge of Nature is an account at bank, where each dividend is added to the principal and the interest is ever compounded; and hence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grove-karl-gilbert/knowledge-of-nature-is-an-account-at-bank-where-each-dividend-is/) Grove Karl Gilbert > [“In order to build a truly wise society devoid of any kind of existential crisis, it is imperative that the individuals foster a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/in-order-to-build-a-truly-wise-society-devoid-of-any-kind-of/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Great steps in human progress are made by things that don't work the way philosophy thought they should. If things always worked the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/great-steps-in-human-progress-are-made-by-things-that-don-t-work-the/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [Thank God for the creative ideas that enrich life by adding your own creative contributions to human progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thank-god-for-the-creative-ideas-that-enrich-life-by-adding-your-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The releasing of attachment to object and certain beliefs was already indelibly written as a very necessary step in my human progress toward being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-morgan/the-releasing-of-attachment-to-object-and-certain-beliefs-was-already/) [Marlo Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-morgan/) > [The whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever-growing influence of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-seward/the-whole-hope-of-human-progress-is-suspended-on-the-ever-growing/) [William H. Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) > [The brain is conceded to be the master organ of the body, the regulator of life, the source of human progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-tilney/the-brain-is-conceded-to-be-the-master-organ-of-the-body-the/) Frederick Tilney > [“Of the Wobblies, most probably, but not just them. Of hope, perhaps, that her country might rise to the challenge, might override the legacies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-downing/of-the-wobblies-most-probably-but-not-just-them-of-hope-perhaps-that/) [David Downing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-downing/) > [To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events could never be refuted, in the real sense, by science, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/to-be-sure-the-doctrine-of-a-personal-god-interfering-with-natural/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Without constructive skepticism, without human progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/without-constructive-skepticism-without-human-progress/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) [Browse all 210 Human progress quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-progress/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. 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