The most striking aspect of Ms Showalter's survey is that it is not a history of inevitable progress.

ECONOMIST: Women's literature in America

When we look at history we tend to see the progress of events as inevitable, but it was rarely so at the time.

CNN: The Earth is full

With any endeavor that pushes innovation and technological progress, planning an interstellar journey will generate some inevitable spin-offs that may help us solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.

MSN: Uniting the planet for a journey to another star

Benchmark chasing also causes undue stress with clients unnerved by the inevitable gyrations of a benchmark, rather than being focused on an approach that strives to make regular progress on the achievement and ultimately realization of their goals with the least amount of risk or volatility to meet their personal goals and objectives.

FORBES: Investors Need To Make Money, Not Beat Benchmarks

But what we can learn from these similar struggles is that social progress, such as the passage of the Voting Rights Acts, did not just happen naturally, an inevitable result of the passing years.

CNN: U.S. voting rights under siege