For society to progress, we should not only move forward but also

The young visionary Boyan Slat, who dared to challenge the tides of waste in the oceans, spoke these words with clarity and urgency: “For society to progress, we should not only move forward but also clean up after ourselves.” In this simple truth lies the essence of wisdom: that true progress is not only the making of new paths, inventions, and dreams, but also the healing of the scars we leave behind. Advancement without responsibility is no progress at all—it is merely the shifting of burdens onto future generations.

To move forward is the mark of all living things. Civilizations rise, technologies evolve, horizons expand. Yet in the rush of ambition, men often forget the shadow cast by their own creations. Pollution, injustice, corruption—these are the stains left when one builds without cleansing. Slat’s words remind us that humanity must not act like a careless traveler scattering refuse upon the road, but like a wise pilgrim, leaving the path better for those who follow. For what good is progress if it poisons the soil beneath our feet and the waters that give us life?

History bears testimony to the dangers of neglect. Consider the Industrial Revolution: it brought wealth, innovation, and power, yet also belched smoke into the sky, poisoned rivers, and enslaved workers in cruel conditions. The engines of progress roared forward, but society did not yet learn to clean up after itself. Generations paid the price for short-sighted glory, until new reforms arose to balance growth with responsibility. Thus we see that without cleansing, progress becomes burden, and without correction, advancement becomes destruction.

Slat himself became a modern witness to this truth when, at the age of just nineteen, he founded The Ocean Cleanup, seeking to remove the plastic choking the seas. The world had advanced in technology, trade, and industry—but it had left behind mountains of waste drifting upon the waves. He saw that to truly progress, humanity must look backward to its mess and act to restore what had been harmed. His work is not only an act of innovation but also of repentance, a recognition that we must be stewards, not merely builders.

The meaning of his words extends beyond the physical environment. They are also a parable for the soul and for society itself. When relationships break, when injustices are done, when errors are made, we cannot call it progress simply to march onward without repairing the damage. To clean up after ourselves means to take responsibility, to mend what we have broken, to heal what we have wounded. Only then can progress be true, for only then is it both forward-looking and life-sustaining.

The lesson for us is profound: progress is not the blind chase of speed, but the wise blending of creation with restoration. Each of us, in small ways, leaves traces behind—waste in the earth, words in the hearts of others, deeds that shape the community. To live well is not only to plant new seeds but also to pull up the weeds we ourselves have sown. Responsibility is the guardian of progress, and without it, even the brightest future will wither.

Practical wisdom flows: when you advance in your work, ask, “What have I left behind, and how can I repair it?” When you consume, remember to give back. When you err, apologize and restore. When you build, consider not only the glory of creation but also the harmony of the aftermath. Progress without repair is vanity, but progress with cleansing becomes eternal.

So let Boyan Slat’s words echo in your heart: “For society to progress, we should not only move forward but also clean up after ourselves.” Let them guide you in your labor, in your relationships, in your stewardship of the earth. For the future is not won by those who march fastest, but by those who march wisely—who build and heal, who advance and restore, who leave the world brighter and cleaner than they found it.