“History is the teacher of life.”

“History is the teacher of life.” This phrase is attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman senator, philosopher and rhetorician, who lived in the 1st century before Christ, he believed that there was an intimate relationship between virtuous action and examples from the past. Several philosophers have made reference to what we have learned from the past. The philosopher Kierkegaard said: “Life can only be understood looking back, but it can only be lived looking forward.” Another wise man, Confucius, said: “if you want to know the past, examine the present, which is the result; If you want to know the future, examine the present, which is the cause.” The Greek thinker Herodotus, considered the father of History by the philosopher Cicero, argued that it is necessary to "think about the past to understand the present and idealize the future". We must not forget this teaching, otherwise we will lose ourselves in the foam of days or in utopias. (as something that takes the form of an illusion, dream, daydream, or fantasy) Recurrently, there is the belief that history is cyclical, that is, there is a systematic repetition in history. Undeniably, the events that occurred in the past serve as an example and learning for the present life, it should be like that, but as we all know it is not! "Change is the law of life. And those who only look to the past or the present will surely miss the future.” (John Kennedy) Many have already made mistakes by not taking advantage of the lessons of the past, who among us hasn't made mistakes? Both nations and people sometimes forget to look back to learn from successes (which should be imitated) and mistakes (which should be avoided). “In the demands of life, everything is lawful, even the artificial, and the artificial is sometimes the great sacrifice one makes to have the essential.” (Clarice Lispector) Let us keep in mind that, to prepare for a better future, we cannot give up the lessons of the past, although without nostalgia, as things change. The key word is not “forgetfulness” but “adaptation”. As Henry Ford said: “The past serves to highlight our failures and give us directions for progress and development in the future.”