If you study the past,can you divine the future?

Question: If you study the past,can you divine the future!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

No!. (in a word!)!.

Here is an interesting task; if you stand at the edge of the sea on a sandy beach, on a sunny day, you will see where each wave ran up to and stopped and turned!. You see a pattern and you know that more waves will also advance up the beach and turn back!. But here is the problem; using a pointed stick, stick it in the beach at the point where you think the next wave will stop!. You will probably get near, but almost never get it exactly right!. That is because there are millions of variables at work, all of which are also following a basic pattern but also changing slightly each time; the heat, the wind, the sand quality etc!.

The point is not to divine the future, but to see the general pattern and live with it, and know that we are also part of the pattern!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It depends on what you're referring to!. You can predict that there will be earthquakes, Elvis sightings, political assassinations, and people going over Niagra Falls!. But you aren't going to be able to reliably predict anything outside of "it will happen somewhere, some time!." With further technology, we may change that inability for some natural disasters, but this has very little to do with studying the past!.

Some things, such as pyramid building for pharoahs, elevator shoes, and the toga as the choice for fashion-conscious men of state!.!.!.they might not return (and, in some cases, for good reason)!.

You can, however, make some educated guesses by studying the past!. For example, a careful study of economics and the financial industry, coupled a deep study of how politicians vote on economic matters, with care in selecting relevant factors could give you a fairly good idea about how the current credit crisis is going to play out, and over what sort of time frame!. Given a study of past voting strategies and campaign shifts, you could cite the relevant strengths of the presidential candidates, and, based on those, give an educated guess about who will win the election (and why)!.

Often times, there are so many factors at work that you just won't realize them all!. But, general trends do appear, and make for the ability to make "close guesses" possible!.

There is no better way to understand the effects of the future then by understanding the causes in the past!. Assuming you can sift through all of the factors and apply the correct weights, you could make some predictions about the things that people, both individuals and aggregates, would likely do!. But don't be surprised if your horse doesn't always come in first place!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The idea that history repeats itself and therefore you can 'Know' the future is not a reliable way to confront life!. People still make the same mistakes over and over again because they are human and have desires and emotions!. If Eve offered you an apple, you would still most likely take a chance and a bite!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

From that viewpoint there can be no real progress, as everything possible must have already been or at least be predicted from what has been!. Surely that would lead to a finite amount of possibilities for what can happen!? I prefer to believe that without expectation, anything is possible!. Of course, I also believe that I have no concept of what 'anything' is, as to hold expectations is to limit possibilities!.

I suppose it also depends on whether you believe that reality is an actual, external thing, or whether it is shaped by the universe we accept as real!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Sometimes people wish to clean their whole history apart to start fresh!. Unfortunately, the past reflects on the future decisions that you make, and what you see in someone as you realize that their past could come again!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

interesting!.!.!.
Not really divine but it's possible!.!.!.especially that human nature didn't change that much and people are still running after money and power!.!.but the tools and reasons differ!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

humans are predictable
they never learn from their mistakes
so in a sense, yes you can foresee
what we will do over and over againWww@QuestionHome@Com

you can see trends and make educated guess where probabilities are high you will be right!. Everything goes in cyclesWww@QuestionHome@Com

Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it!. - Winston ChurchillWww@QuestionHome@Com

I agree with all the previous answers, except I dont know what P means!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

not always,Www@QuestionHome@Com

pWww@QuestionHome@Com

noWww@QuestionHome@Com