Is Progress Inherently Neutral

I believe that progress is inherently neutral, and that what is often called progressive is the opposite. Progress is literally defined as a forward movement in space or time. On the contrary modern humans and I (before my experience) define progress along the lines of an increase in productivity, efficiency, advancement or have an overall preconceived notion that progress is always an inherently positive movement. I didn’t always believe that human notions of progress are dangerous; it was a slow process that began with internal and external reflection. “What color do you want?” my father shouted, whilst on the computer downstairs in the living room. “I don’t really care, honestly.” I replied walking down the old, wooden staircase. “I’ll

I place too much value on these notions without thinking about their meanings, where they came from and how I could practically measure them. An increase in intelligence is too often measured by grades in school, or by scores on a standardized test, these scores only measure how much I know about specific concepts and subjects without assessing their value in my life. I do not need to understand complex mathematical theorems in order to be a contented human being. However it is valued in our society to so something illogical, studying impractical and unrelated topics, in order to score well on exams. These exams cannot accurately measure how intelligent I am because these exams only test certain expressions of intelligence. The SAT will not test me on my knowledge of Dostoevsky, or color theory, or driving. It is not meant to; however the SAT is used as a measurement of a student in several aspects of life despite its incapability to reflect my intelligence as a whole. I may learn everything there is to know about dancing; can the SAT reflect my advancement in knowledge of dancing as progress in the score? No it cannot, truthfully there is not an accurate way to measure intelligence, therefore there is not a just way to measure intellectual improvement. I believed that deeply thought-out plans for life meant I was progressing, however these plans change constantly. There is no certainty in the future; therefore deeply thought-out plans would limit me. It’s splendid to have an idea of what I might chose as a career option, for example “I enjoy physics, I’d like to become a physicist and possibly find work at the Hadron Collider and study the Higgs Field,” is much healthier, and more practical than, “I enjoy physics, so I must become a theoretical