"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history"
- George Bernard Shaw
About this Quote
George Bernard Shaw's quote is a paradoxical statement that suggests that although we can gain from history, we are destined duplicate the exact same errors. This is because, as Hegel argued, we are unable to draw the right conclusions from our previous experiences. We are unable to gain from our errors and instead, we are doomed to repeat them. This is because we are unable to recognize the patterns of history and the lessons that can be learned from them. We are not able to see the bigger image and instead, we focus on the details. We are unable to draw the ideal conclusions from our previous experiences and rather, we are destined duplicate them. This quote is a reminder that we need to bear in mind our past experiences and strive to learn from them in order to prevent making the same errors in the future.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do"
