--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past…" description: "\"“To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past customs, Struggles, Leaders and thinkers. Let These Help you. Let them inspire you, Warn you, Give you stren..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/octavia-e-butler-2861_change_to-survive-let-the-past-teach-you-past-c_2420133.jpg" --- # To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past customs… ![“To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past customs, Struggles, Leaders and thinkers. Let These Help you. Let them inspire you, Warn you, Give you strength. But beware: God is Change. Past is past. What was Cannot Come again. To survive, know the past. Let it touch you. Then let The past Go.” quote by Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/octavia-e-butler-2861_change_to-survive-let-the-past-teach-you-past-c_2420133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/octavia-e-butler-2861_change_to-survive-let-the-past-teach-you-past-c_2420133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/octavia-e-butler-2861_change_to-survive-let-the-past-teach-you-past-c_2420133.jpg) > ““To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past customs, Struggles, Leaders and thinkers. Let These Help you. Let them inspire you, Warn you, Give you strength. But beware: God is Change. Past is past. What was Cannot Come again. To survive, know the past. Let it touch you. Then let The past Go.”” [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from past struggles and leaders provides strength, but change is constant and the past cannot be reclaimed. **In simple terms:** Past teaches, but change is inevitable. Key Takeaway Use history wisely, accept change. Themes history growth change resilience Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership - education - policy making - personal development Key Concepts philosophy cultural memory adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor history without being trapped by it? - What practices help adapt to inevitable change? A Different Perspective Clinging to past can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-past/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Know Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-past/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Is Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-is-past/) [Past Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-teach-1528224/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survive Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive-know-1010760/) [Teach Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-past-801987/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You cannot survive if you do not know the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/you-cannot-survive-if-you-do-not-know-the-past/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [“Trying to look at the whole of the past is, it seems to me, like using a map of the world. No geographer would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/trying-to-look-at-the-whole-of-the-past-is-it-seems-to-me-like-using/) [David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/) > [“If Time travel were possible, the future would have already taught the present to teach the past how to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-tate/if-time-travel-were-possible-the-future-would-have-already-taught-the/) [Atom Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-tate/) > [Stop worrying about what happened in past. You can't change it. Past is past its passed away. Learn from you mistake n keep on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/stop-worrying-about-what-happened-in-past-you-can-t-change-it-past-is/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [If the past cannot teach the present and the father cannot teach the son, then history need not have bothered to go on, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/if-the-past-cannot-teach-the-present-and-the-father-cannot-teach-the/) [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) > [Past teach us the lesson not to repeat our mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/past-teach-us-the-lesson-not-to-repeat-our-mistake/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“There is so much that the past can teach us. -The Cripple”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-so-much-that-the-past-can-teach-us-the-cripple/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Life is the future, not the past. The past can teach us, through experience, how to accomplish things in the future, comfort us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/life-is-the-future-not-the-past-the-past-can-teach-us-through/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [Past will teach you alot of life :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/past-will-teach-you-alot-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The past can teach us, nurture us, but it cannot sustain us. The essence of life is change, and we must move ever forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kearsley/the-past-can-teach-us-nurture-us-but-it-cannot-sustain-us-the-essence/) [Susanna Kearsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kearsley/) > [When you can come out of any kind of a conflict or you go through things together it inevitably makes you stronger if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorit-kemsley/when-you-can-come-out-of-any-kind-of-a-conflict-or-you-go-through/) [Dorit Kemsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorit-kemsley/) > [“I do what I have to do to survive because that’s all I know. I don’t make excuses, I own it. This is me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/i-do-what-i-have-to-do-to-survive-because-that-s-all-i-know-i-don-t/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/every-decision-every-interaction-every-step-every-time-you-get-out-of/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [You'll beat this. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you will. You're a survivor." "I don't want to survive it." "I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/you-ll-beat-this-i-know-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-but-you-will-you-re-a/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [You've got to be quick on your feet in this world if you want to survive. Though once you know the rules, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/you-ve-got-to-be-quick-on-your-feet-in-this-world-if-you-want-to/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) ## More by Octavia E. Butler > [The lovely thing about writing is, well, two things. One, writing fiction allows us to bring an order to our lives that doesn't exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/the-lovely-thing-about-writing-is-well-two-things-one-writing-fiction/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It’s too easy to follow bad but attractive leaders, embrace pleasurable but destructive habits, ignore looming disaster because maybe it won’t happen after all—or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-s-too-easy-to-follow-bad-but-attractive-leaders-embrace/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“He rubbed his head again. 'Five years is longer than it sounds. So much longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/he-rubbed-his-head-again-five-years-is-longer-than-it-sounds-so-much/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Se sono tuoi, stabilisci tu le regole. A chi importa che cosa ne pensano i giocattoli? Spazza via l'intera famiglia di un giocattolo, poi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/se-sono-tuoi-stabilisci-tu-le-regole-a-chi-importa-che-cosa-ne/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [I don't know how much of a market there is for space opera. Just because it's in the movies doesn't mean magazines are buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/i-don-t-know-how-much-of-a-market-there-is-for-space-opera-just/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Freedom is dangerous but it's precious, too. You can't just throw it away or let it slip away. You can't sell it for bread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/freedom-is-dangerous-but-it-s-precious-too-you-can-t-just-throw-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Sometimes I wrote things because I couldn't say them, couldn't sort out my feelings about them, couldn't keep them bottled inside me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/sometimes-i-wrote-things-because-i-couldn-t-say-them-couldn-t-sort/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“In the book of Job, God says he made everything and he knows everything so no one has any right to question what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/in-the-book-of-job-god-says-he-made-everything-and-he-knows/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“But there’s no power in having strength and brains, and yet waiting for God to fix things for you or take revenge for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/but-there-s-no-power-in-having-strength-and-brains-and-yet-waiting/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“After a few years of watching the human species make things unnecessarily difficult for itself I have little hope that it will do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/after-a-few-years-of-watching-the-human-species-make-things/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Self is. Self is body and bodily perception. Self is thought, memory, belief. Self creates. Self destroys. Self learns, discovers, becomes. Self shapes. Self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/self-is-self-is-body-and-bodily-perception-self-is-thought-memory/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [At school I was always taller than the rest of my class, and because I was an only child, I was comfortable with adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/at-school-i-was-always-taller-than-the-rest-of-my-class-and-because-i/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It was milk that had sickened her. Animal milk! These people cooked many things with animal milk!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-was-milk-that-had-sickened-her-animal-milk-these-people-cooked/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [Religion is everywhere. There are no human societies without it, whether they acknowledge it as a religion or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/religion-is-everywhere-there-are-no-human-societies-without-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/there-is-nothing-new-under-the-sun-but-there-are-new-suns/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) [Explore all 131 Octavia E. Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To survive, Let the past Teach you-- Past customs, Struggles, Leaders and thinkers. 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