History repeats itself, nothing happens new- do you beleive it?

Answer 1

Ah, one of the most annoying statement in the world. Did anybody NOT have a history teacher that didn't state in one way or another that 'history repeats itself, so we study history to keep from making the same mistakes.'

In a nutshell, I'd answer 'yes' to the former question and 'no' to the latter. Read on if you want examples...

History does repeat itself in a larger sense rather than minute, and we do tend to make the same mistakes one way or another. However, new things happen, if only in an applied science form. Hitler over the course of 10 years managed to have 12 million people killed. America was able to kill 200,000 people immediately by dropping the uranium-based bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima and the plutonium-based bomb, Fat Man, on Nagasaki. Aside from the 200,000 people immediately destroyed, many 'survivors' died from the after-effects of radiation.

So, do the math and you'll see that America would actually achieve an exponently larger death toll had they simply kept on dropping these bombs. The war ended, however, partly due to the Japanese pulling out of World War II as a result of these bombings.

In my opinion we're accelerating the cycle as media, internet, and other mediums report on things as soon as they happen and then speculate them to death. Once upon a time, people barely knew what was happening in their own town, much less their country and the rest of the world. We're also overbreeding and generally on the brink of destoying the Earth's resourses.

'Nostalgia' phases have become commonplace due to Nick at Nite and other satellite channels, so there's mass escapism with tv viewers. I don't believe there's been another phase in history where people deliberately digress to younger times - clothing, music, catchprases, and so on.

So there are new things that are changing people more than history. Where that takes us only time will tell, but I'm leaning towards 'not good'.

Answer 2

You can say that an historical event repeats, only if it does so in the same context. Of course events (like the fall of a great political power) can be similar; But the Roman Empire (for example) can NOT collapse once again.

Of course it is healthy to make similes, and learn from the past, to avoid repeating mistakes; And all political leaders should keep this in mind.

Answer 3

Yes History does repeat itself, but new history happens every day so it too can be repeated.

Answer 4

History certainly DOES repeat itself: I've seen the same bloody documentary on Cleopatra three times now.

Answer 5

History repeats itself, itself, itself, itself...

But, I don't think that's quite what the saying means, at least to anyone with a brain.

Answer 6

Yes, I believe history repeats itself but is disguised as another situation. Therein lies the tricky business of figuring it out.

Answer 7

Nope, because something new had to happen in order for History to be made in order for it to be repeated, so ergo, new stuff happens....

Answer 8

No! Everything is history.

Answer 9

No.
History has its own time, place and people, etc.
let's not complicate it: can you repeat time?

Answer 10

yes to a certain extent.