What has been done will be done again; what has been acted upon will be acted upon again. There is nothing new under the sun. — Modern Punctuation and Harmonized Version (CUVMP Traditional) Ecclesiastes 1
I once saw this sentence in "Super Beast Armor," and in a daze, it has already been many years since then. Over the years, I have often recalled this sentence.
Does creation exist?#
For example, I have always questioned whether there is such a thing as creation.
The standard for creation is actually the degree of "new things." The Bible adds, "Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look, this is new'? It was already here long ago; it was here before our time."
In terms of writing, I have always believed that "writing is naturally formed, and is occasionally obtained by skillful hands." Whether in art or religion, according to Marx's view, "all religion is merely the reflection of the external forces that dominate people's daily lives in their minds." It is nothing more than a reflection of so-called "material life."
Although this view overlooks human free will and the independence of the spiritual world, it reflects the difficulty of generating "new things."
As for non-humanistic fields such as science and technology, although progress is exhilarating, discoveries about nature are not creations. In today's development of artificial intelligence, what constitutes "new things" and what constitutes "creation" is once again deeply impacted.
The reason there are no new things under the sun#
The absence of "new things" does not mean the world is stable and lifeless. To the average person, the world is changing rapidly, and history is constantly being written. It is precisely because of the huge contrast between common perceptions and the idea that "there is nothing new under the sun" that people catch a glimpse of "old things" from the myriad phenomena.
New things are not new, and old things are not old. The fundamentals that constitute the world remain unchanged; it is only in the arrangement and combination, under the passage of time, that distinctions of new and old arise. But I am not here to extol this correct nonsense.
The essence of there being no new things under the sun#
"Super Beast Armor" uses this sentence to illustrate the fact of the world's cycles, highlighting that "the height of the fountain cannot exceed its source, and the extraordinary power of Super Beast Armor cannot exceed its belief," emphasizing the strength of this spiritual power.
I use this sentence to reflect on the consequences of my personal inconsistency in actions.
Respect the laws of the world#
What is learned from books is ultimately shallow. I have always liked these famous sayings, but truly understanding a sentence is not about deconstructing it; rather, it is about constructing a sentence using one's own memories and experiences. Therefore, interpretations of classics, like this blog-like secondary product, generally only hold significance for the individual.
I pride myself on loving this sentence, but do my actions reflect it? The development of this world has its own laws, the so-called "what has been done will be done again." Our personal development also has its own laws. For example, some people enjoy watching adult films, but after watching, they feel guilty and decide to delete all adult films. After the wise mode ends, they watch adult films again. Was that deletion really necessary? Even if it was necessary, is the intensity of repetition appropriate? Adult films can represent all human desires: smoking, drinking, reading novels, fishing, eating...
Do we really understand ourselves?#
A person is a world in itself, and throughout life, "new things" and "old things" continuously appear in a person's life. As our own masters, we cannot truly master ourselves well. Just like ancient monarchs and modern presidents, they constantly issue orders to the body, thoughts, and consciousness.
But do we really understand ourselves? "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." The people may not be the sovereign, and we may not be our own masters. In the rise and fall of dynasties and the life and death of individuals, knowing oneself is even more important. "Three feet above the head are spirits," humanity does not need to rush to worship supernatural forces; first understanding natural forces and grasping "there is nothing new under the sun" may help us avoid many detours. For instance, when a monarch issues orders, consulting the nobles' advice appropriately could prevent suffering from revolution soon after?
A specific understanding of there being no new things under the sun#
One word to describe my further understanding of this sentence is humility. Taking the humility of criminal law as an example, if crime can be restrained without criminal law, then do not use such extreme means to solve problems. As stated in the Expanded Wisdom.
Making it convenient for others is also convenient for oneself; a wall built by one family looks good for both.
Leave a line when facing each other, so that we can meet again later.
Be kind in life#
This is a very simple truth for many people: do not be too willful in life. But since I was young, due to my low level, I have particularly loved "stirring things up."
I remember in a psychology class, the teacher asked everyone what kind of person they wanted to be. My answer was that I like to be extreme and do extreme things. This mentality is nothing more than seeking attention through aggression to cover up feelings of inferiority and weakness. We cannot say this mentality is bad; on the contrary, many people who want to achieve something through "extremes" are everywhere, although most do not end well. However, 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 a bit more humble and kind.
Similarly, if Hitler could understand that "there is nothing new," he would not have had to engage in radical genocide, nor would he have left a stench for eternity.
Revolution should be conservative#
The histories of England and France are worth our deep reflection.
England's incomplete revolution#
In 1215, the nobles and the king signed the "Magna Carta," reaching a limitation on the power of taxation. Whether it was the Glorious Revolution or the later 1679 "Habeas Corpus Act," 1689 "Bill of Rights," and 1701 "Act of Settlement," the traditions of empiricism and conservatism in England allowed it to complete the bourgeois revolution without bloodshed, and nearly a thousand years of legal continuity maximized the value of order.
France's thorough revolution#
In contrast, the French people, who revolted at the slightest disagreement, experienced the harsh consequences of not respecting laws. Since 1789, when the French bourgeois revolution broke out and the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" was born, France has issued 13 constitutions, evolving from the First French Republic to the Fifth French Republic. The imperial system continuously restored, and bloodshed occurred repeatedly. As mentioned earlier, the monarchical system and oppression cannot be resolved overnight; these are "old things" that have been played out for centuries. Even if the monarchy is a product of a historical stage, this power does not suddenly disappear but changes gradually.
The American independence and the French Revolution occurred one after the other; the former has one constitution to this day, while the latter has changed 13 constitutions. How much cost has been borne in between? The fact that the U.S. Constitution has been in operation until now shows the powerful force of conservatism and empiricism in the Anglo-American legal system.
Law requires experience#
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Holmes said: "The life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience." The experience here does not refer to the experience of a single person, but rather humanity's long-standing adherence to precedents conservatively and the humility towards extreme means. 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 deep understanding of "three feet above the head are spirits."
This is my understanding of there being no new things under the sun. In the future, we may have other insights, but there is no need to overturn this article; perhaps this reflects some of my behaviors!