Then and Now - Using the Past
A strong theme in Asian thought is cyclicality - the idea that nothing remains constant and that the old can become new again. Sun Tzu said:
Of the five elements, none is predominant, of the four seasons none lasts forever…and the moon waxes and wanes. [Sun Tzu, Chapter 6]
This idea teaches us to anticipate the future and the unexpected by realizing that the status quo cannot be taken for granted - that stuff happens. It also teaches us one way of gaining wisdom about the future is to look into the past, as what was old can be new again.
I was recently reading a book on film history. At the very early days of the film industry, the films of different countries - Russia, Italy, France and others - vied with the United States for influence and viewership. After World War I began, international ties between countries became limited and as a result this international sharing and influence in film. This, combined with American business and artistic creativity, gave rise to the strength of North American films which has lasted to this day. Looking at this history, although it is in the distant past, with films that today seem like antiques, nevertheless helps us to raise interesting questions with which we can look at our future.
For example, on one hand, with the internet now being used for an increasing amount of entertainment viewing, and with the internet being a global medium, perhaps we will see a greater amount of sharing and mutual influence of international entertainment.
On the other hand, with increased globalization, we see English becoming increasingly an means of international communication, and this can be utilized by the now very strong and creative North American entertainment industry.
Watching the past thus gives us an interesting framework with which to look at the future. In the case of the very modern question of entertainment and new media, it frames some very important questions that allow us to analyze very current trends. Of course, it is very dangerous to use the past as a blueprint for the future, human actions are certainly not as predictable as the phases of the moon. Nonetheless, our past is far from irrelevant. We may be more like our ancestors than we might think and they may have far more to teach us than we often realize.
© Copyright Lorne Gross, 2009
