--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So the conservative who resists change is…" description: "\"“So the conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it -- perhaps as much more as the roots are more vital than grafts. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/will-durant-948_change_so-the-conservative-who-resists-change-i_476928.png" --- # So the conservative who resists change is as valuable as… ![“So the conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it -- perhaps as much more as the roots are more vital than grafts. It is good that new ideas should be heard, for the sake of the few that can be used; but it is also good that new ideas should be compelled to go…” quote by Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/will-durant-948_change_so-the-conservative-who-resists-change-i_476928.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/will-durant-948_change_so-the-conservative-who-resists-change-i_476928.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/will-durant-948_change_so-the-conservative-who-resists-change-i_476928.png) > ““So the conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it -- perhaps as much more as the roots are more vital than grafts. It is good that new ideas should be heard, for the sake of the few that can be used; but it is also good that new ideas should be compelled to go through the mill of objection, opposition, and contumely; this is the trial heat which innovations must survive before being allowed to enter the human race. It is good that the old should resist the young, and that the young should prod the old; out of this tension, as out of the strife of the sexes and the classes, comes a creative tensile strength, a stimulated development, a secret and basic unity and movement of the whole.”” [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Change thrives when radicals propose ideas and conservatives test them, creating tension that strengthens innovation. **In simple terms:** Innovation needs both new ideas and critical scrutiny to succeed. Key Takeaway Balance bold proposals with thoughtful critique. Themes innovation balance critique progress tension Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - policy development - organizational change - cultural evolution - technological advancement Key Concepts dialectics creative tension social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster constructive tension? - When does resistance become harmful? A Different Perspective Excessive resistance can stall necessary progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) ## Related quotes > [The conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-durant/the-conservative-who-resists-change-is-as-valuable-as-the-radical-who/) [Ariel Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-durant/) > [“Our society is mature. Change is instability. That is why every institution we have resists change. To maintain the status quo is our sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/our-society-is-mature-change-is-instability-that-is-why-every/) [Peter F. 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