One fact is obvious. Whether social change is major or minor, local or
general, it shifts the social balance. Any shift in the social balance
involves reactionaries, conservatives, liberals, radicals, some of whom
will gain, while others will lose in the course of each social
transformation. All will be concerned and involved.
Since political change involves some alteration in the balance of social
forces, it behooves those who advocate and those who oppose social
change to maximize acceptance and minimize opposition in order to take
advantage of the gains and cut down the losses incident to all change.
For present purposes we wish to make seven notes about means and ends.
1. _Opportunists_ propose to act now and win what they can
today. Never mind about tomorrow with its sequences and
consequences of today's action. Sufficient for the day is the
evil thereof.
2. _Pragmatists_ believe in serving their own interests, on the
theory that whatever serves personal interests must have
first priority. "What is good for me/us is good for the
universe".
3. _Experimentalists_ are prepared to try out any suggestion
which promises to achieve the desired goals. Singly and in
working teams they test and try out, seeking the most
effective means of reaching desired ends.
4. _Innovators_ formulate projects and test out results, checking
and rechecking as they search for more effective means
of achieving results.
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