User:The Collective Mind/Motive/Mission

Motive was founded upon a single guiding principle: Progress. At once a philosophy, a lifestyle, and a virtue, Progress has guided our footsteps for 2,400 years from tenuous planetary civilization to sprawling intragalactic empire of some 50,000 worlds. Everything we have, we owe to Progress.

But what is Progress? Languages that include the word usually define it as “forward movement towards a destination.” This is not far from the truth! Our definition is at once more specific and more far-reaching. To us, Progress means “the continuous technological and cultural advance towards a better galactic condition.”

This is a bit of a mouthful. Fortunately, we can divide the concept of Progress further, down to three smaller but no less important virtues.

Industry


 * First, Progress means industry. Through creation we define ourselves. Through production we elevate ourselves. Through work we perfect ourselves. The raw, rough matter of the universe exists to be used by us -- why else would it be there? Why else would we be here? The act of making is a sacred duty, and industry is the act of making on a mass scale.

Innovation


 * Second, Progress means innovation. We must always strive to learn, and to apply that learning in new and interesting ways. Dwelling on the past only invites stagnation and decay -- the important thing is to keep moving forward. Every day brings new developments, and every new development brings us that much closer to the future.

Expansion


 * Third and finally, Progress means expansion. We must always move our boundaries forward. To grow is to live, to become more vital -- every star we claim means a fresh new influx of resources we can use, every outpost we build means a new place for populations to settle. Living inside a bottle means depriving yourself of new spaces and experiences. The whole vast galaxy exists for the taking; one only needs to reach out and grab.

And that is Progress means.