進步

我們都想進步。所謂的進步，就是越來越靠近你的目的地。假如你已經拐錯了彎，繼續往前走只會使你越走離得越遠。

假如你已經誤入歧途，轉個對的方向，走回正路，才叫做進步；在那個情況下，最早回轉的人，是最有進步的。

我們做算術時都碰過這種情況：一旦加錯了，能越早發現錯誤，重算，我越早得到答案。像個豬頭三不願認錯，是不會有進步的。

我想，假使你們看看這個世界的現況，很明顯的，人類已經犯了大的錯誤，我們已經誤入歧途了。果真如此的話，我們就必須走回去，往回走才是捷徑。

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start over again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pigheaded and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.

** Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis