Oscar Wilde (from A Word a Day)

Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation. –Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)

This is another example of a statement that is true when applied to a certain range of circumstances, but that is often misapplied in our day. It is true that advances are made when someone is dissatisfied with the status quo, whether in a technical matter such as the functioning of some device or a matter of human relationships such as an oppressive law. But this doesn’t mean that all discontent is good. Often it is merely a sign of rebelliousness or other juvenile tendencies. Often enough the status quo is just right!