ISSUE120

TOPIC: ISSUE120 - "So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present."
WORDS: 623 TIME: 00:18:26 DATE: 2008/7/20 18:45:44

There is so much new and complex today that someone holds the view that it is no use for guiding for our living in the present to look back for the past. This statement is right under certain circumstances, but it is so absolute extremely when extended to more field.

Admittedly, with the development of science and technology, there are big changes of our world, especially in economics, sciences, art and so on. The big and rapid changes make the distinguished differences between present and past. Nowadays, there are more and more new and complex things which created or discovered by our human beings. There is no denying that we cannot totally live in the present with the experiences derived from what we have done in ten years or even one hundred years ago. Compared with the experiences, the creation and imagination are the same important in modern world. In other word, it is just waste for our time to look back for experiences in the past instead of living in present with combining the understanding in past and creation in present.

However, we cannot ignore the importance of the guidance provided by the understanding of the past. Take the field of science for example; Newton, the most well-known physicist in the world, said he was just on the shoulder of giant which represent for the understanding, experience and accomplishment of the predecessor in the past. Furthermore, the same thing happens on Einstein because his famous theory-the Relative Theory-was the opposite of and derived from Newton's typical physics theory. So, can't we say that Einstein stood on the shoulder of Newton? In a word, it is looking back for an understanding of the past that provides guidance for living in the present, at least in the field of science, which was proved by the above two examples.

Moreover, it is really helpful for our better living in present to look backwards. In 1918, the four years' First World War ended which nearly destroyed the whole world. However, the Second World War broke only 21 years later. The unfair pact between the winner and loser in First World War is the fundamental and direct reason of the fact that the two wars were broke in such a short time. By realizing the disadvantages of the unfair pact, there is no such a pact between Axis and Allies at the end of Second World War. Moreover, our human beings hold the view that the peace and development are the two main themes in the world by looking back for the understanding of the wars in past. Even if when we were at the peak of the Cold War between Soviet Union and the United States, there was no real war happened.

In addition, we should guide our living and action with the experiences in the history and understanding of the past. In fact, the same things happened again and again in the history. So, if we take care of what has happened past, we would have found many people had encountered the similar trouble which just we confronted present. Perhaps, we could found some efficient ways, which our predecessors have already used, to solve our own problems. There is a simple example that when we encounter a sneak in forest, to avoid being attacked, we will stay where we are without moving. And why we do this? It is derived from the experiences of our predecessors.

Generally speaking, Although the world has changed a lot and so much is new and complex nowadays, we must realize the importance of looking back for the past, because all the things what we created or discovered are related to our understanding and experiences in the past more or less.