Using the Power of Old Ideas to Make New Discoveries

Everyone wants to be first.

Our competitive and status-seeking nature drives us to chase the novel.

We want new experiences. We want to make fresh discoveries.

When it comes to learning, despite being frequently frustrated at how little we know, it is important to remember that there is no expectation that you will discover the unencountered.

You are not the first person to feel what you feel, hear what you hear, or think what you think.

Walk into your nearest library, and you will be immediately surrounded by the best of humanity’s collective wisdom.

The answer to almost anything we’ve already discovered lies on the other side of a simple Google query.

A counterintuitive truth is that the best way to make something new is to understand something old.

Unfortunately, most of our attention is directed toward the transient. A news story might last a week. A Snap or Instagram story lasts a day. A Tiktok lasts 15 seconds.

If you want to make something original, go find the ideas that have stood the test of time.

By standing on the shoulders of our intellectual forefathers, we can build a richer, more complete view of the world.

Gather the best of old ideas. Multiply your mental bank of referential data points. Learn from the mistakes of others. Perpetuate the passage of knowledge through time.