"Everything has been said, and we are more than seven thousand years of human thought too late"
- Jean de la Bruyere
About this Quote
This quote by Jean de la Bruyere speaks with the concept that throughout the course of human history, we have already checked out and gone over a huge array of topics. In other words, there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. We have actually been believing and discussing the exact same things for countless years, and it is difficult to come up with something that has actually not already been said.
This quote can be analyzed in a few various ways. On one hand, it can be viewed as a reminder that we should not be too quick to believe that we have all the answers. We must be humble and recognize that we are basing on the shoulders of giants, which much of what we believe and state has currently been stated before. On the other hand, it can be seen as a call to action to think more deeply and critically about the subjects we discuss. We should make every effort to come up with originalities and viewpoints, rather than just duplicating what has actually already been stated.
Ultimately, this quote functions as a tip that we must not take our concepts and ideas for granted. We ought to make every effort to think more deeply and critically, and to come up with originalities and perspectives. We should recognize that much of what we believe and state has actually already been said before, which we are basing on the shoulders of giants.