There is no general and right answer to this question; all we know is that progress is required to keep us, mankind, moving forward. Unfortunately forward is not always the right way and it may cost us much more than we are willing to pay. Some of the most important areas where progress has occurred are economy, technology and general evolution.
One big sphere is and will be economy. Here we see acclivities and ebbs all the time. But if the progress is too fast it may cause some serious ramifications. For example Germany in the 1930's. Humiliated by unequal treaties after World War I, the German people were suffering from a terrible economy and massive inflation. Then Hitler took power and mobilized the German economy, in several years the Germans economy had recovered and was actually becoming among the most powerful in Europe.
