The helix may be the best analogy for civilization. Looked at from one angle, it appears we're just going in circles, in cycles. But looked at from another, we are gradually ascending. All progress is along the z-axis. https://t.co/g0650dlc0v

We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.

— Herman Hesse, Siddhartha