"I didn't ever think of it as a social thing at the time. I took it as a good story. Maybe because I've always been kind of progressive so I never thought of it, you know"

Rod Steiger's quote speaks to the idea of progressive thinking. He is saying that he never ever thought of the story he was informing as a social thing, however rather as a good story. He associates this to his progressive thinking, which allowed him to take a look at the story with no preconceived notions or biases. This quote speaks to the significance of progressive thinking, which enables us to take a look at stories and situations objectively and without judgement. It also talks to the power of stories, which can be utilized to convey crucial messages and concepts. By looking at stories objectively, we can get a much better understanding of the world around us and individuals in it.