History does not repeat itself. Nor does it unfold in cycles. The real future is contingent, rich beyond imagining, a perennial gobsmack, tragic and glorious in equal measure; the pundits' future, spun of 'conventional wisdom,' is only a sucker punch to that common-sense fact.
Interpretation
History is unpredictable and does not follow strict patterns, contrary to popular belief.
This quote by Rick Perlstein emphasizes the complexity and unpredictability of history. It conveys that while some may claim that history repeats itself in cycles, the truth is that the future is filled with unexpected events and outcomes that defy conventional wisdom, which often simplifies the intricacies of human experience.
In practice
During a lecture on historical trends, a teacher could incorporate this quote to emphasize the importance of critical thinking when analyzing past events.
That's the way cultural change works in America: the rest of us discard a prejudice that the Right still clings to; in the fullness of time, the Right comes around, too, deploying clever rationalizations to forget they ever bore the prejudice in the first place.
I don't like people who speak or think in terms of gaining anybody's confidence. If one's actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others, only their rational perception. The person who craves a moral blank check of that kind, has dishonest intentions, whether he admits it to himself or not.
β¦. Query: How contrive not to waste one's time? Answer: By being fully aware of it all the while. Ways in which this can be done: By spending one's days on an uneasy chair in a dentist's waiting-room; by remaining on one's balcony all of a Sunday afternoon; by listening to lectures in a language on doesn't know; by traveling by the longest and least-convenient train routes, and of course standing all the way; by lining up at the box-office of theaters and then not buying a seat; and so forth.
If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies.
Government seems to operate on the principle that if even one individual is incapable of using his freedom competently, no one can be allowed to be free.
As soon as we notice that certain types of events 'like' to cluster together at certain times, we begin to understand the Chinese, whose theories of medicine, philosophy, and even building are based on a 'science' of meaningful coincidences.
Having totality means being capable of following "what is," because "what is" is constantly moving and constantly changing. If one is anchored to a particular view, one will not be able to follow the swift movement of "what is.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.