The Past, The Present, The Future
“We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.”
-Frederick Douglass
The past is the foundation of our world. It allows the people of the present and the future to make the world a better place. Similar to how a baby needs its mother to grow, the world needs the past to evolve. It teaches us survival, gives us courage, and it protects us. It allows us to see the sacrifices that have been made for us in the past which we can use to protect ourselves in the present and future. It is often said that "history repeats itself.” However if we study the successes and failures from the past, as a world we should not be repeating the same mistakes. Mistakes of the past should be lessons so they will not reoccur in the future. In addition to helping the future be a better place, the past also gives emphasis to the histories of nations and civilizations. This emphasis allows each individual in the world to understand their unique past so they can embrace their origin. The past is a gift passed down to us by our ancestors. Soon, the present will be our past, and it will decide how the future will turn out. Ones past actions determine their present situation, and ones present actions determine their future situation. Therefore, the past must be made useful to the present and the future.
Hi Sneha, I like how you connected all three time periods together- the past, future, and the present. It is true that the past affects the present, but I don't think everything should be based on past actions. As situations change, people's thoughts and actions do too. So to show this it was interesting how you wrote that "the present will be our past and it decides the future". It shows that time is continuous and always changing. Also, referring to the past as a gift really put emphasis on your beliefs and helped me understand your thoughts better.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your take on the past. It's important for society to reflect on its past, not only just to learn but also to remember; to ignore the mistakes of the past would be disrespectful and shortsighted. Learning from the past is the only way for humans to grow and progress forward into the present and to make the plans necessary to continue to succeed in the future. The past truly is a gift, as you said, because though it may be painful to remember things like wars and depressions, it is important to take them into account to further improve.
ReplyDeleteSneha, I really love this post. I completely agree with how important it is to learn from the past, not only individually, but as a society as well! The Fredrick Douglass quote you included at the beginning was an interesting introduction and ties in perfectly to what you had to say.
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