"My main mistake was to have made an ancient people advance by forced marches toward independence, health, culture, affluence, comfort"

This quote by Mohammed Reza Pahlavi reviews his errors as the Shah of Iran. He acknowledges that he made a mistake in attempting to rapidly update Iran, pushing the ancient people of the country towards self-reliance, health, culture, abundance, and comfort. He likely believed that this would be useful for individuals of Iran, however it appears that he did not take into consideration the cultural and social ramifications of such a fast modification. This quote reflects on the Shah's remorse for not taking a more gradual approach to modernization, and for not considering the impact it would have on the people of Iran. It is a reminder of the value of considering the cultural and social implications of any modifications that are made, and of the requirement to take a more steady method to modernization.