“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” ―Winston Churchill
The ability to see into the future is something that can be appealing — to know what lies ahead and act accordingly. And although none of us can reliably know everything that will happen, there’s one way to get a better sense of where things are going: to be familiar with where things have been.
We as humans are great at seeing patterns. But the question is, Are we familiar enough with the past to get our bearings for where we are today? Not that we should focus primarily on the past, but realizing that there’s value in at least being familiar with it.
What’s the best way to know how someone will act in the future? The best option is to look at how they’ve behaved in the past. How with this project, or client relationship, or international conflict turn out? We may not know exactly, but if we know the history of each situation, we’ll not only have a better understanding of the forces at play today, but also a good foundation to see where things may head tomorrow.
The past offers us the chance to gain wisdom and better perspective of where we are in a bigger story. What we do with what we learn is up to us. But choosing to be familiar with it is the first step.