APAD: There's nothing new under the sun

Meaning: Many things/ideas that appear new aren't really new at all.

 

Background:

    What has been will be again,

    what has been done will be done again;

    there is nothing new under the sun.

    --Ecclesiastes 1.9. Bible: New International Version.

 

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So what? Like freedom for which every generation has to fight anew, many stories

are necessarily re-told, truths re-discovered, sufferings re-suffered, and

lessons re-learned. Who says one has to be original to live an authentic life?

 

The proverb reminds me to learn from the past and others' experiences. It is not

an excuse for feeling complacent, pretending to have been there and done that

for things about which I have no clue.