I've been thinking this for quite some time. You have to hit bottom in some instances before you do something about it.

when Kennedy was killed .... this country began to not go forward and began to slip backwards.

Slip Slidding away says this.....



i asked ChatGPt about this and here is what I got


People change when they become sufficiently aware that their current situation is no longer acceptable and they believe a better alternative is possible.



What's that thing about ... you have to hit bottom

You're probably referring to the idea of "hitting rock bottom."

The phrase is commonly used in addiction recovery, personal growth, and psychology. It means reaching a point where the pain, consequences, or dissatisfaction in life become so severe that a person finally decides to change.

Some common expressions are:

"You have to hit rock bottom before you can change."
"The pain of staying the same must become greater than the pain of change."
"When you've reached the end of your rope, you'll find a way to climb."

However, modern psychology generally does not believe that people must hit rock bottom before they can change. Many people make significant changes long before reaching a crisis. In fact, waiting for rock bottom can be dangerous because the consequences may become much worse.

A more accurate way to think about it is:

People change when they become sufficiently aware that their current situation is no longer acceptable and they believe a better alternative is possible.

In recovery circles, there is also a saying:

"Rock bottom is whenever you decide to stop digging."

That means "bottom" is not a fixed place. It's the moment a person decides they don't want to continue on the same path.

If you're thinking of a particular quote, tell me a few more words from it and I'll try to identify the exact saying.