Have we as humans ever really learned anything from our past?

Question:It is constantly said that we must learn from the past or we are doomed to repeat it. But throughout history, things have remained in cycles. Civilizations fall to a revolution. Revolutionary government becomes corrupt, people oppressed, inciting revolution. This is just an example, but do you think that much has really changed in how we as a whole act?

Do you believe in today's modern societies, with such a vast amount of knowledge at our disposal, that we could actually break free and move forward together, or do you think the same things will keep happening?

Do you think perhaps it happens again because we forget the past?

And again with our current store of knowledge, do you think this forgetting will be avoided?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It is constantly said that we must learn from the past or we are doomed to repeat it. But throughout history, things have remained in cycles. Civilizations fall to a revolution. Revolutionary government becomes corrupt, people oppressed, inciting revolution. This is just an example, but do you think that much has really changed in how we as a whole act?

Do you believe in today's modern societies, with such a vast amount of knowledge at our disposal, that we could actually break free and move forward together, or do you think the same things will keep happening?

Do you think perhaps it happens again because we forget the past?

And again with our current store of knowledge, do you think this forgetting will be avoided?

The one thing we learn from history....is that we don't learn from history.

that would be a big fat NOPE

There is nothing new under the sun ... And there never will be.

nothing, we only think of ourselves we are selfish and others do not mean anything. This is why nothing changes.

You have five questions here so I shall just chose the first one.
Yes some of us do learn and some don't.
We are put here to learn and when we fail to do this we come back again and learn. I have learnt many things from wise people and each day is a new lesson to me.
If only we could be instilled with all this knowledge from birth...

Creo que si. I think social Darwinism is still playing a part. Socially unacceptable behaviors are punished in the short term by things like prison and stigmas, and lead to poorer qualities of life for those people who behave in socially unacceptable ways, which leads to shorter lifespans for those people. There is no supressing biologically influenced behaviors, but as a reasonable and intellectual whole, mankind is learning, and can be moved beyond the past.

It doesn't seem to me that we learn much from history. This is true at the level of governments/countries and down to the personal level. The same atrocities are going on now that have been going on since the dawn of man. A few learn and try to make changes for the betterment of all, the changes don't last. Until mankind as a whole decides to change, it doesn't seem to me that we will move forward.

I don't think human nature changes very much, regardless of how technologically advanced we may become.

We live more comfortable lives nowadays, we are healthier and we live longer, but we are still the same hoplessly flawed human being, and have the same vices and prejudices as our distant ancestors.

I believe firmly in the doctrine of Original Sin, we are all born with evil in our natures and will continue to repeat history regardless because humans basically remain the same.

Considering how many people in here are clearly asking questions because they're trying to cheat on their homework, I'm afraid that the answer is no, very few of us will truly ever learn from our past.