--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps the question was premature in…" description: "\"“Perhaps the question was premature in Turner’s time, but not now. Currently we see around us an ever more apparent loss of vigor of our society: incre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/robert-zubrin-43848_levels-of-life_perhaps-the-question-was-premature-in-tu_575864.jpg" --- # Perhaps the question was premature in Turner’s time, but… ![“Perhaps the question was premature in Turner’s time, but not now. Currently we see around us an ever more apparent loss of vigor of our society: increasing fixity of the power structure and bureaucratization of all levels of life; impotence of political institutions to carry off great projects…” quote by Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/robert-zubrin-43848_levels-of-life_perhaps-the-question-was-premature-in-tu_575864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/robert-zubrin-43848_levels-of-life_perhaps-the-question-was-premature-in-tu_575864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/robert-zubrin-43848_levels-of-life_perhaps-the-question-was-premature-in-tu_575864.jpg) > ““Perhaps the question was premature in Turner’s time, but not now. Currently we see around us an ever more apparent loss of vigor of our society: increasing fixity of the power structure and bureaucratization of all levels of life; impotence of political institutions to carry off great projects; the proliferation of regulations affecting all aspects of public, private, and commercial life; the spread of irrationalism; the banalization of popular culture; the loss of willingness by individuals to take risks, to fend for themselves or think for themselves; economic stagnation and decline; the deceleration of the rate of technological innovation. . . . Everywhere you look, the writing is on the wall.”” [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society suffers from rigid power structures, bureaucracy, stagnation, and loss of individual initiative, warning of a decline in progress. **In simple terms:** Rigid systems stifle growth and risk‑taking. Key Takeaway Encourage flexibility and personal responsibility. Themes society bureaucracy innovation risk Mood critical urgent Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - education - entrepreneurship - community projects Key Concepts Systems theory cultural decay Questions to Reflect On - What steps can individuals take to revive dynamism? - How can institutions become more adaptable? A Different Perspective Change may be resisted by entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Levels of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels-of-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Popular culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-culture/) [Stagnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stagnation/) ## Related quotes > [“Currently we see around us an ever more apparent loss of vigor of our society: increasing fixity of the power structure and bureaucratization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/currently-we-see-around-us-an-ever-more-apparent-loss-of-vigor-of-our/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [Mark my words, when a society has to resort to the lavatory for its humour, the writing is on the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/mark-my-words-when-a-society-has-to-resort-to-the-lavatory-for-its/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The neoliberal programs of the last generation have in fact been, and were intended to be, a pretty serious attack on democracy, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-neoliberal-programs-of-the-last-generation-have-in-fact-been-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Sometimes we feel the loss of a prejudice as a loss of vigor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/sometimes-we-feel-the-loss-of-a-prejudice-as-a-loss-of-vigor/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Water always seeks the easiest path, the common level of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/water-always-seeks-the-easiest-path-the-common-level-of-life/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [By enlivening this most basic level of life, Transcendental Meditation is that one simple procedure which can raise the life of every individual and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/by-enlivening-this-most-basic-level-of-life-transcendental-meditation/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [When you let go of the former things & accept the challenge that God has called you to better days with new levels of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefroy-hanson/when-you-let-go-of-the-former-things-accept-the-challenge-that-god/) [Jefroy Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefroy-hanson/) > [“A voice said, "Climb." 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You need to keep leveling up your skills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-saifuddin/regardless-of-where-you-started-there-is-always-the-next-level-you/) [Mustafa Saifuddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-saifuddin/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More by Robert Zubrin > [ The White Mars \[project\] is a bold move that will add significantly to our understanding of how to deal with the challenge of human… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/the-white-mars-project-is-a-bold-move-that-will-add-significantly-to/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [Today the human race is a single twig on the tree of life, a single species on a single planet. Our condition can thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/today-the-human-race-is-a-single-twig-on-the-tree-of-life-a-single/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [“What was it the old salts use to say about who and what conquered the seven seas? Iron men and wooden ships, not wooden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/what-was-it-the-old-salts-use-to-say-about-who-and-what-conquered-the/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [I would say that failure to terraform Mars constitutes failure to live up to our human nature and a betrayal of our responsibility as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/i-would-say-that-failure-to-terraform-mars-constitutes-failure-to/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [“If the human mind can understand the universe, it means the human mind is fundamentally of the same order as the divine mind. 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There is a larger world, vast enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-hall/there-are-many-levels-of-life-which-we-cannot-see-and-know-yet-which/) [Manly Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-hall/) > [In private many scientists admit that science has no explanation for the beginning of life… Darwin never imagined the exquisitely profound complexity that exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-behe/in-private-many-scientists-admit-that-science-has-no-explanation-for/) [Michael Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-behe/) > [There are as many strata at different levels of life as there are leaves in a book. When on the higher levels we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-are-as-many-strata-at-different-levels-of-life-as-there-are/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“A voice said, "Climb." And he said, "How shall I climb?the mountains are so steep that I cannot climb." The voice said, "Climb or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/a-voice-said-climb-and-he-said-how-shall-i-climb-the-mountains-are-so/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [When you let go of the former things & accept the challenge that God has called you to better days with new levels of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefroy-hanson/when-you-let-go-of-the-former-things-accept-the-challenge-that-god/) [Jefroy Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefroy-hanson/) > [By enlivening this most basic level of life, Transcendental Meditation is that one simple procedure which can raise the life of every individual and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/by-enlivening-this-most-basic-level-of-life-transcendental-meditation/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [Water always seeks the easiest path, the common level of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/water-always-seeks-the-easiest-path-the-common-level-of-life/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I contend that the time has come to develop what I call "integrated spiritual masters." These are individuals that have a full-on experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur-ray/i-contend-that-the-time-has-come-to-develop-what-i-call-integrated/) [James Arthur Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur-ray/) > [I was convinced that worship at its best is a social experience with people of all levels of life coming together to realize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-was-convinced-that-worship-at-its-best-is-a-social-experience-with/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Once the threshold is crossed when there is a self-sustaining level of life in space, then life's long-range future will be secure irrespective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/once-the-threshold-is-crossed-when-there-is-a-self-sustaining-level/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [The level above Man is called the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God in the Gospels. It has many other names in different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-nicoll/the-level-above-man-is-called-the-kingdom-of-heaven-or-kingdom-of-god/) [Maurice Nicoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-nicoll/) [Browse all 30 Levels of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Perhaps the question was premature in Turner’s time, but not now. 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