--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who would foresee what is to happen…" description: "\"He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.\" — Niccolo Machiavelli" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg" --- # He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what… ![“He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.” quote by Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg) > “He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.” [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding future events requires studying past patterns, as history repeats its themes. **In simple terms:** Learn from history to predict the future. Key Takeaway Study past events to anticipate outcomes. Themes history prediction strategy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - political planning - business forecasting - personal decision making - risk assessment Key Concepts causality cyclical patterns Questions to Reflect On - What historical patterns are relevant today? - How do we avoid over‑reliance on precedent? A Different Perspective Past may not always predict unique future events. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foresee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foresee/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-past/) ## Related quotes > [Time past cannot be stopped, saved, or regained. But a photograph allows you to borrow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-mcculloh/time-past-cannot-be-stopped-saved-or-regained-but-a-photograph-allows/) [Douglas McCulloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-mcculloh/) > [Prudence is a presumption of the future, contracted from the experience of time past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/prudence-is-a-presumption-of-the-future-contracted-from-the/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [time past is not time gone, it is time accumulated with the host resembling the character in the fairytale who was joined along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/time-past-is-not-time-gone-it-is-time-accumulated-with-the-host/) [Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/) > [Time past and time future allow but a little consciousness. To be conscious is not to be in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/time-past-and-time-future-allow-but-a-little-consciousness-to-be/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [I have been searching for time past all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanloup-sieff/i-have-been-searching-for-time-past-all-my-life/) [Jeanloup Sieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanloup-sieff/) > [The more you are focused on time-past and future-the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-more-you-are-focused-on-time-past-and-future-the-more-you-miss/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [I am 46, and have been for some time past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-brookner/i-am-46-and-have-been-for-some-time-past/) [Anita Brookner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-brookner/) > [Time past, even God is deprived of the power of recalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/time-past-even-god-is-deprived-of-the-power-of-recalling/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [the present is the merest flicker between the long long time past and the things that haven't yet happened but most assuredly will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estela-portillo-trambley/the-present-is-the-merest-flicker-between-the-long-long-time-past-and/) Estela Portillo Trambley > [If you look at life...it has been made for you to keep going on and on. Dont look back to what has happened because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-look-at-life-it-has-been-made-for-you-to-keep-going-on-and-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You got to go back and look at it, what happened when Mike Singletary retired? What happened to the Bears for a while? They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rivera/you-got-to-go-back-and-look-at-it-what-happened-when-mike-singletary/) [Ron Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rivera/) > [Wise men say, and not without reason, that whosoever wished to foresee the future might consult the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wise-men-say-and-not-without-reason-that-whosoever-wished-to-foresee/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [As the First World War made painfully clear, when politicians and generals lead nations into war, they almost invariably assume swift victory, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/as-the-first-world-war-made-painfully-clear-when-politicians-and/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [“I foresee that my life will be much better in future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-c-mathobela/i-foresee-that-my-life-will-be-much-better-in-future/) K.C Mathobela > [I didn't foresee troubles in my second film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthik-subbaraj/i-didn-t-foresee-troubles-in-my-second-film/) [Karthik Subbaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthik-subbaraj/) ## More by Niccolo Machiavelli > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [It is the duty of a man of honor to teach others the good which he has not been able to do himself because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/it-is-the-duty-of-a-man-of-honor-to-teach-others-the-good-which-he/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Anyone who believes that new benefits make men of high station forget old injuries deceives himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/anyone-who-believes-that-new-benefits-make-men-of-high-station-forget/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [He who has once begun to live by rapine always finds reasons for taking what is not his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-has-once-begun-to-live-by-rapine-always-finds-reasons-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Everyone who wants to know what will happen ought to examine what has happened: everything in this world in any epoch has their replicas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/everyone-who-wants-to-know-what-will-happen-ought-to-examine-what-has/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Speaking generally, men are ungrateful, fickle, hypocritical, fearful odanger and covetous ogain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/speaking-generally-men-are-ungrateful-fickle-hypocritical-fearful/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [There is nothing as likely to succeed as what the enemy believes you cannot attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/there-is-nothing-as-likely-to-succeed-as-what-the-enemy-believes-you/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearance, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/for-the-great-majority-of-mankind-are-satisfied-with-appearance-as/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression of himself, and he who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against; for, provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/that-prince-is-highly-esteemed-who-conveys-this-impression-of-himself/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Anyone who studies present and ancient affairs will easily see how in all cities and all peoples there still exist, and have always existed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/anyone-who-studies-present-and-ancient-affairs-will-easily-see-how-in/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I believe that it is possible for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason and supervision for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/i-believe-that-it-is-possible-for-one-to-praise-without-concern-any/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Men are always averse to enterprises in which they foresee difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-are-always-averse-to-enterprises-in-which-they-foresee/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“He who causes another to become powerful ruins himself, for he brings such a power into being either by design or by force, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-causes-another-to-become-powerful-ruins-himself-for-he-brings/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [One never finds anything perfectly pure and ... exempt from danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/one-never-finds-anything-perfectly-pure-and-exempt-from-danger/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) [Explore all 590 Niccolo Machiavelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) ## More Counterparts quotes > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Whatever the reason, American Muslims appear far less inclined to support the global jihad than their European counterparts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/whatever-the-reason-american-muslims-appear-far-less-inclined-to/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [The people are fed up with their elected officials playing the blame game and treating their political counterparts as enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/the-people-are-fed-up-with-their-elected-officials-playing-the-blame/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [Alas, poor Yorick! How surprised he would be to see how his counterpart of today is whisked off to a funeral parlor and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/alas-poor-yorick-how-surprised-he-would-be-to-see-how-his-counterpart/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Muslim women must stand up and speak out about who we are, what we believe and where we are going. I think we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-rania-of-jordan/muslim-women-must-stand-up-and-speak-out-about-who-we-are-what-we/) [Queen Rania of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-rania-of-jordan/) > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) > [All our surest statements about the nature of the world are mathematical statements, yet we do not know what mathematics "is"... and so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/all-our-surest-statements-about-the-nature-of-the-world-are/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [Living with these teenage boys allowed me to see how much their psyches were like their girl counterparts. They were more familiar to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/living-with-these-teenage-boys-allowed-me-to-see-how-much-their/) [Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/) > [None of my counterparts in Europe interferes in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/none-of-my-counterparts-in-europe-interferes-in-politics/) [Margrethe II of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margrethe-ii-of-denmark/) > [I think women have come a long way. Women are in positions not because they're women, they're in positions because they're intelligent and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-women-have-come-a-long-way-women-are-in-positions-not-because/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In the early years of the Roaring Twenties, American women not only won the right to vote but they also earned headlines along side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-de-varona/in-the-early-years-of-the-roaring-twenties-american-women-not-only/) [Donna de Varona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-de-varona/) > [Rich people in poor places want to show off their wealth. And their less affluent counterparts feel pressure to fake it, at least in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/rich-people-in-poor-places-want-to-show-off-their-wealth-and-their/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [The physical domain of the country had its counterpart in me. The trails I made led outward into the hills and swamps, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-haines/the-physical-domain-of-the-country-had-its-counterpart-in-me-the/) [John Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-haines/) > [ So in his very politically-incorrect way, I think \[James Mattis\] is a good counterpart to Donald Trump, who doesn't read books. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/so-in-his-very-politically-incorrect-way-i-think-james-mattis-is-a/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) Browse all 188 Counterparts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Niccolo Machiavelli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-should-look-to-what-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Counterparts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-should-look-to-what-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/niccolo-machiavelli-368_counterparts_he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-s_734711.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart…” — Niccolo Machiavelli", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Niccolo Machiavelli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He who would foresee what is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-should-look-to-what-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-should-look-to-what-has/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```