In what ways do you agree or disagree with this statement? The great PT Barnum once said, “Comfort is the enemy of progress.”?

[midnightmoon05]

[lightbulb27]

good question.!

I disagree because sometimes we need to find a place of security and stability from which to progress from again. Endlessly going up a "mountain", lost, can lead to hopelessness.

Too much comfort makes a person too secure and lazy and they won't want to leave, and so they don't grow to get to... somewhere else, maybe their greater self and life.

[Lliam]

Too much comfort can make people complacent and soft, but it might not inhibit creativity.

And I'm not sure that "progress" is always a good thing. It's always a double edged sword, and can actually be used for evil.

The capitalist system is built on the notion of constant growth. Grow or die. Like cancer.

[Tenebrae_mentis]

We progress in order to gain more comfort, inching our way toward perfection. But perfection is an ever-moving goal impossible to achieve, so we'll never be comfortable enough to stop. Endless progress also runs the risk of sudden regress, as well. Still, it's a good sentiment.

[abc3643]

That's very good and, for the most part, I'd have to say "Yes".

It goes hand in hand with the other adage "Necessity is the mother of invention."

[NamerOfStars]

I think it was better expressed by the man himself: "Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral.".

[Guardian45]

That is probably true! When one grows comfortable, one can grow complacent. Complacency can lead to stagnation and decay.

[OnTheLevel]

I think "COMPLACENCY is the enemy of progress" is a more accurate phrase.

[NostalgiaSenpi]

On an individual level, yes. Too much comfort can stifle personal growth.

[Alex8736]

most definitely 100% agree what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

[gorydetails]

Agree 100%