Apeople，itappears，maybeprogressiveforacertainlengthoftime，andthenstop：whendoesitstop？Whenitceasestopossessindividuality。IfasimilarchangeshouldbefallthenationsofEurope，itwillnotbeinexactlythesameshape：thedespotismofcustomwithwhichthesenationsarethreatenedisnotpreciselystationariness。Itproscribessingularity，butitdoesnotprecludechange，providedallchangetogether。Wehavediscardedthefixedcostumesofourforefathers;everyonemuststilldresslikeotherpeople，butthefashionmaychangeonceortwiceayear。Wethustakecarethatwhenthereisachange，itshallbeforchange’ssake，andnotfromanyideaofbeautyorconvenience;forthesameideaofbeautyorconveniencewouldnotstrikealltheworldatthesamemoment，andbesimultaneouslythrownasidebyallatanothermoment。Butweareprogressiveaswellaschangeable：wecontinuallymakenewinventionsinmechanicalthings，andkeepthemuntiltheyareagainsupersededbybetter;weareeagerforimprovementinpolitics，ineducation，eveninmorals，thoughinthislastourideaofimprovementchieflyconsistsinpersuadingorforcingotherpeopletobeasgoodasourselves。Itisnotprogressthatweobjectto;onthecontrary，weflatterourselvesthatwearethemostprogressivepeoplewhoeverlived。Itisindividualitythatwewaragainst：weshouldthinkwehaddonewondersifwehadmadeourselvesallalike;forgettingthattheunlikenessofonepersontoanotherisgenerallythefirstthingwhichdrawstheattentionofeithertotheimperfectionofhisowntype，andthesuperiorityofanother，orthepossibility，bycombiningtheadvantagesofboth，ofproducingsomethingbetterthaneither。WehaveawarningexampleinChina—anationofmuchtalent，and，insomerespects，evenwisdom，owingtotheraregoodfortuneofhavingbeenprovidedatanearlyperiodwithaparticularlygoodsetofcustoms，thework，insomemeasure，ofmentowhomeventhemostenlightenedEuropeanmustaccord，undercertainlimitations，thetitleofsagesandphilosophers。Theyareremarkable，too，intheexcellenceoftheirapparatusforimpressing，asfaraspossible，thebestwisdomtheypossessuponeverymindinthecommunity，andsecuringthatthosewhohaveappropriatedmostofitshalloccupythepostsofhonourandpower。Surelythepeoplewhodidthishavediscoveredthesecretofhumanprogressiveness，andmusthavekeptthemselvessteadilyattheheadofthemovementoftheworld。Onthecontrary，theyhavebecomestationary—haveremainedsoforthousandsofyears;andiftheyareevertobefartherimproved，itmustbebyforeigners。TheyhavesucceededbeyondallhopeinwhatEnglishphilanthropistsaresoindustriouslyworkingat—inmakingapeopleallalike，allgoverningtheirthoughtsandconductbythesamemaximsandrules;andthesearethefruits。Themodernregimeofpublicopinionis，inanunorganisedform，whattheChineseeducationalandpoliticalsystemsareinanorganised;andunlessindividualityshallbeablesuccessfullytoassertitselfagainstthisyoke，Europe，notwithstandingitsnobleantecedentsanditsprofessedChristianity，willtendtobecomeanotherChina。
WhatisitthathashithertopreservedEuropefromthislot？WhathasmadetheEuropeanfamilyofnationsanimproving，insteadofastationaryportionofmankind？Notanysuperiorexcellenceinthem，which，whenitexists，existsastheeffectnotasthecause;buttheirremarkablediversityofcharacterandculture。Individuals，classes，nations，havebeenextremelyunlikeoneanother：theyhavestruckoutagreatvarietyofpaths，eachleadingtosomethingvaluable;andalthoughateveryperiodthosewhotravelledindifferentpathshavebeenintolerantofoneanother，andeachwouldhavethoughtitanexcellentthingifalltherestcouldhavebeencompelledtotravelhisroad，theirattemptstothwarteachother’sdevelopmenthaverarelyhadanypermanentsuccess，andeachhasintimeenduredtoreceivethegoodwhichtheothershaveoffered。Europeis，inmyjudgment，whollyindebtedtothispluralityofpathsforitsprogressiveandmany—sideddevelopment。Butitalreadybeginstopossessthisbenefitinaconsiderablylessdegree。ItisdecidedlyadvancingtowardstheChineseidealofmakingallpeoplealike。M。
deTocqueville，inhislastimportantwork，remarkshowmuchmoretheFrenchmenofthepresentdayresembleoneanotherthandidthoseevenofthelastgeneration。ThesameremarkmightbemadeofEnglishmeninafargreaterdegree。
InapassagealreadyquotedfromWilhelmvonHumboldt，hepointsouttwothingsasnecessaryconditionsofhumandevelopment，becausenecessarytorenderpeopleunlikeoneanother;namely，freedom，andvarietyofsituations。Thesecondofthesetwoconditionsisinthiscountryeverydaydiminishing。Thecircumstanceswhichsurrounddifferentclassesandindividuals，andshapetheircharacters，aredailybecomingmoreassimilated。Formerlydifferentranks，differentneighbourhoods，differenttradesandprofessions，livedinwhatmightbecalleddifferentworlds;atpresenttoagreatdegreeinthesame。Comparativelyspeaking，theynowreadthesamethings，listentothesamethings，seethesamethings，gotothesameplaces，havetheirhopesandfearsdirectedtothesameobjects，havethesamerightsandliberties，andthesamemeansofassertingthem。Greatasarethedifferencesofpositionwhichremain，theyarenothingtothosewhichhaveceased。Andtheassimilationisstillproceeding。Allthepoliticalchangesoftheagepromoteit，sincetheyalltendtoraisethelowandtolowerthehigh。Everyextensionofeducationpromotesit，becauseeducationbringspeopleundercommoninfluences，andgivesthemaccesstothegeneralstockoffactsandsentiments。Improvementinthemeansofcommunicationpromotesit，bybringingtheinhabitantsofdistantplacesintopersonalcontact，andkeepinguparapidflowofchangesofresidencebetweenoneplaceandanother。Theincreaseofcommerceandmanufacturespromotesit，bydiffusingmorewidelytheadvantagesofeasycircumstances，andopeningallobjectsofambition，eventhehighest，togeneralcompetition，wherebythedesireofrisingbecomesnolongerthecharacterofaparticularclass，butofallclasses。Amorepowerfulagencythanevenallthese，inbringingaboutageneralsimilarityamongmankind，isthecompleteestablishment，inthisandotherfreecountries，oftheascendancyofpublicopinionintheState。Asthevarioussocialeminenceswhichenabledpersonsentrenchedonthemtodisregardtheopinionofthemultitudegraduallybecomelevelled;astheveryideaofresistingthewillofthepublic，whenitispositivelyknownthattheyhaveawill，disappearsmoreandmorefromthemindsofpracticalpoliticians;
thereceasestobeanysocialsupportfornonconformity—anysubstantivepowerinsocietywhich，itselfopposedtotheascendancyofnumbers，isinterestedintakingunderitsprotectionopinionsandtendenciesatvariancewiththoseofthepublic。