It's pretty common to have the op's misconception. Thinking that the natural progression is forward rather than a delicate balance of a large number of choices

It's pretty common to have the op's misconception. Thinking that the natural progression is forward rather than a delicate balance of a large number of choices where any one or small number of total wrong choices ends you up in centuries of no progress or backsliding is so common it's even the basis of popular religions like Marxism and Marxism's progeny. I wouldn't be too hard on the guy, he's a symptom of our partially stagnant and/or backsliding time.