Most people have heard a variant of the Santayana quotation, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." The admittedly cliche remark nonethless imparts vital wisdom. The past is the one of the only reliable methods for making predictions about the future.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 states, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
"let us flatter ourselves as much as we please, what happened yesterday, will come to pass again; and the same causes will produce like effects in all ages." – John Trenchard, “An Argument Shewing, that a Standing Army is inconsistent with a Free Government, and absolutely destructive to the Constitution of the English Monarchy” (1697) (emphasis mine)
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” - Patrick Henry
“It is the madness of folly to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice.” – Thomas Paine, “The Crisis”, Number I , December 23, 1776. From Common Sense, the Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, pg. 81.
“To say, they will never attempt it again is idle and visionary, we thought so at the repeal of the stamp-act, yet a year or two undeceived us; as well may we suppose that nations, which have been once defeated, will never renew the quarrel.” -Thomas Paine, “Common Sense”. From Common Sense, the Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, pg. 43.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 states, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
"let us flatter ourselves as much as we please, what happened yesterday, will come to pass again; and the same causes will produce like effects in all ages." – John Trenchard, “An Argument Shewing, that a Standing Army is inconsistent with a Free Government, and absolutely destructive to the Constitution of the English Monarchy” (1697) (emphasis mine)
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.” - Patrick Henry
“It is the madness of folly to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice.” – Thomas Paine, “The Crisis”, Number I , December 23, 1776. From Common Sense, the Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, pg. 81.
“To say, they will never attempt it again is idle and visionary, we thought so at the repeal of the stamp-act, yet a year or two undeceived us; as well may we suppose that nations, which have been once defeated, will never renew the quarrel.” -Thomas Paine, “Common Sense”. From Common Sense, the Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, pg. 43.
