--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you wish to understand what Revolution…" description: "\"If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to understand what Progress is, call it Tomorrow.\" — Victor Hugo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/victor-hugo-32_progress_if-you-wish-to-understand-what-revolutio_462693.jpg" --- # If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it… ![“If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to understand what Progress is, call it Tomorrow.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/victor-hugo-32_progress_if-you-wish-to-understand-what-revolutio_462693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/victor-hugo-32_progress_if-you-wish-to-understand-what-revolutio_462693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/victor-hugo-32_progress_if-you-wish-to-understand-what-revolutio_462693.jpg) > “If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to understand what Progress is, call it Tomorrow.” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Revolution is seen as progress, and progress is always the promise of a future that has yet to arrive. **In simple terms:** Revolution equals progress; progress equals tomorrow. Key Takeaway Seek continual improvement toward a better future. Themes change future optimism Mood hopeful thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social reform - technological innovation - personal development Key Concepts political theory philosophy history Questions to Reflect On - What future are you working toward? - How do you measure true progress? A Different Perspective Progress can be slow and uneven. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [If you wish to gain an idea of what revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to acquire an idea of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/if-you-wish-to-gain-an-idea-of-what-revolution-is-call-it-progress/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When you hang on to the weight of yesterday, it will hinder the progress to tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/when-you-hang-on-to-the-weight-of-yesterday-it-will-hinder-the/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [“Ok I'm not so smart I'm working class. 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No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/all-this-ferment-was-public-we-might-almost-say-tranquil-the-imminent/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“The French Revolution, which is nothing more nor less than the ideal armed with the sword, rose abruptly, and by that very movement, closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-french-revolution-which-is-nothing-more-nor-less-than-the-ideal/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. 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They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. 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If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanie-lane/if-you-learn-something-that-changes-you-you-ve-made-progress-if-you/) Lanie Lane > [People will pay a price for putting political obstruction over progress in a time that is so critical and urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/people-will-pay-a-price-for-putting-political-obstruction-over/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [To try and act like we haven't had great progress is not true. Obama didn't fail - he changed the psyche of the nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/to-try-and-act-like-we-haven-t-had-great-progress-is-not-true-obama/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Don't compare your progress with that of others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance at our own pace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/don-t-compare-your-progress-with-that-of-others-we-all-need-our-own/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/) [Emile M. 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