What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
— Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)
I saw this sentence in "Super Beast Warriors" and now it's been many years. During these years, I have thought of this sentence many times.
For example, I have always questioned whether creation exists or not.
The standard of creation is actually the degree of "newness". The Bible also adds, "Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'? It was here already, long ago, it was here before our time."
In terms of articles, I have always believed that "articles are naturally created, and the skillful occasionally obtain them." Whether it is art or religion, according to Marx's view, "all religions are nothing more than the reflection of the fantasies of external forces that dominate people's daily lives in their minds." It is nothing more than a reflection of the so-called "material life".
Although this view ignores human free will and the independence of the spiritual world, it reflects the difficulty of creating "new things".
As for non-humanistic fields such as science and technology, although progress is exciting, the discoveries of nature are not creations. In the development of artificial intelligence today, what is "new" and what is "creation" are once again deeply impacted.
The reason why there is no "new thing" under the sun does not mean the stability and silence of the world. In the eyes of ordinary people, the world is changing rapidly and history is constantly being written. It is precisely because of the huge contrast between the general concept and the statement "there is nothing new under the sun" that people can catch a glimpse of the "old things" from the complex phenomena.
New things are not new, and old things are not old. The fundamental composition of the world remains unchanged, only in the arrangement and combination, there is a distinction between new and old under time. But I am not here to praise this correct nonsense.
"Super Beast Warriors" uses this sentence to explain the fact of the world's reincarnation, highlighting the power of the spirit that "the height of the fountain cannot exceed its source, and the extraordinary power of the super beast warriors cannot exceed their beliefs."
And I use this sentence to reflect on the consequences of my own inconsistency.
Respecting the laws of the world, what is obtained on paper is always shallow. I have always liked these famous sayings, but truly understanding a sentence is not about deconstructing the sentence, but constructing a sentence with one's own memory and experience. Therefore, this kind of secondary product that explains classics like a blog generally only makes sense to me.
I claim to love this sentence, but does my behavior reflect this sentence? The development of this world has its own laws, the so-called "what has been will be again." Our personal development also has its own laws. For example, some people like to watch adult films, but after watching them, they feel guilty and decide to delete all adult films. After the wise mode ends, they start watching adult films again. Is it really necessary to delete them? Even if it is necessary, is the repetition bringing the appropriate intensity of repetition? Adult films can refer to all human desires. Smoking, drinking, reading novels, fishing, eating...
Is it really necessary to delete them? Even if it is necessary, is the repetition bringing the appropriate intensity of repetition? Adult films can refer to all human desires. Smoking, drinking, reading novels, fishing, eating...
A person is a world. From childhood to adulthood, "new things" and "old things" constantly appear in a person's life. We, as our own masters, cannot really control ourselves well. Just like ancient monarchs and modern presidents, they constantly give orders to the body, mind, and consciousness.
But do we really understand ourselves? "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat." Perhaps the people are not the sovereign, and we may not be our own masters. In the rise and fall of dynasties and the life and death of individuals, understanding oneself is more important. "There is a god three feet above the head." Humans do not need to worship supernatural powers so eagerly. First, understand the natural forces clearly. Understanding "there is nothing new under the sun" may help us avoid many detours. For example, when a monarch issues an order, it is appropriate to consult the nobles for advice, so as not to suffer from revolution.
To describe my further understanding of this sentence with one word, it is modesty. Taking the modesty of criminal law as an example, if crime can be restrained without using criminal law, then extreme measures should not be used to solve the problem. Just like what is said in "Expanded Wise Sayings":
Be considerate to others, and both families will benefit.
Leave room for reconciliation, and it will be good to meet again later.
This is a very simple truth for many people, don't be too willful. But because of my low level since childhood, I love to "toss".
I remember in a psychology class, the teacher asked everyone, what kind of person do you want to be? My answer was that I like to go to extremes and be an extreme person. This mentality is nothing more than wanting to gain some attention through fierce competition, to cover up the inner inferiority and weakness. We cannot say that this mentality is bad. On the contrary, there are many people who want to achieve something through "extremes", although most of them end up badly. But it is very necessary to respect the objective existence of this mentality.
Because no one is always extreme, and no one is always moderate. These paths are not "new things". What we need to do is to be more modest and kind.
Similarly, if Hitler could understand that "there is nothing new under the sun", he would not have carried out radical genocide, nor would he have been infamous for thousands of years.
The history of England and France is worth pondering.
England's Incomplete Revolution#
In 1215, the nobles and the king signed the "Magna Carta", which limited the power of taxation. Whether it is the Glorious Revolution or later in 1679, the "Habeas Corpus Act", the "Bill of Rights" in 1689, and the "Act of Settlement" in 1701, the tradition of English empiricism and conservatism allowed it to complete the bourgeois revolution without bloodshed, and the continuation of laws for nearly a thousand years maximized the value of order.
France's Complete Revolution#
On the other hand, the French people who revolutionize at the slightest provocation have suffered the consequences of not respecting the laws. Since the outbreak of the French bourgeois revolution in 1789, the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" was born, and France has issued 13 constitutions. It has evolved from the First French Republic to the Fifth French Republic. The imperial system has been restored repeatedly, and bloodshed has occurred continuously. As mentioned earlier, the monarchy and oppression cannot be solved overnight. These are "old things" that have been repeated for thousands of years. Even though the monarchical system is a product of a historical stage, this power does not disappear suddenly, but changes gradually.
The American Revolution and the French Revolution, one before and one after, the former has had one constitution to this day, and the latter has changed 13 constitutions. How much price has been paid in between? The fact that the American Constitution can still operate to this day shows the powerful force of conservatism and empiricism in the Anglo-American legal system.
Justice Holmes of the United States said, "The life of the law is not logic, but experience." The experience here does not refer to the experience of a single person, but the conservatism of humanity following precedents for a long time, and the modesty towards extreme measures. For me personally, I should not be too willful. For a country, especially China after the Opium War, what is lacking is not revolution, but experience and conservatism, and a thorough understanding of "there is a god three feet above the head".
This is my understanding of "there is nothing new under the sun". In the future, we may have other insights, but there is no need to overturn this article. This may be a reflection of some of my actions!