"The natural condition of mankind (if that word "natural" is used) is not the progressive condition. It is a condition not of changeableness but of unchangeableness. The immobility of society is the rule; its mobility is the exception. The toleration of change and the belief in its advantages are still confined to the smallest portion of the human race, and even with that portion they are extremely modern."

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

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p. 175

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_James_Sumner_Maine