"In England we have come to rely upon a comfortable time-lag of fifty years or a century intervening between the perception that something ought to be done and a serious attempt to do it"

This quote by H. G. Wells is describing the propensity of the English to be slow to act upon problems that need to be resolved. He is suggesting that it frequently takes a long period of time for the English to recognize an issue and then do something about it to address it. This time-lag of fifty years or a century is something that the English have pertained to depend on and accept as normal. This quote is a criticism of the English for their absence of urgency in dealing with concerns. It suggests that the English are too contented and do not have the inspiration to act in a prompt manner. This quote is a tip that we must not take too long to act upon concerns which we should make every effort to be more proactive in our approach to problem-solving.