--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the only new thing we have to offer is…" description: "\"If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved version of the past, then today can only be inferior to yesterday. Hypnotized by images of the pa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg" --- # If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved… ![“If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved version of the past, then today can only be inferior to yesterday. Hypnotized by images of the past, we risk losing all capacity for creative change.” quote by Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg) > “If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved version of the past, then today can only be inferior to yesterday. Hypnotized by images of the past, we risk losing all capacity for creative change.” [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on past models limits progress and makes the present seem weaker than history. **In simple terms:** Living in the past hinders new ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace innovation over nostalgia. Themes creativity progress nostalgia Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product design - artistic practice - policy making - personal growth Key Concepts cultural criticism innovation theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance respect for tradition with the need for novelty? - What habits keep you from innovating? A Different Perspective Past models can still inspire useful foundations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [As with anything creative, change is inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enya/as-with-anything-creative-change-is-inevitable/) [Enya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enya/) > [“Losing a belief in free will has not made me a fatalist - in fact, it has increased my feelings of freedom. My hopes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/losing-a-belief-in-free-will-has-not-made-me-a-fatalist-in-fact-it/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Losing a belief in free will has not made me fatalistic—in fact, it has increased my feelings of freedom. My hopes, fears, and neuroses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/losing-a-belief-in-free-will-has-not-made-me-fatalistic-in-fact-it/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [''Yesterday was the past, today is the present, and tomorrow is the future''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queencolor495/yesterday-was-the-past-today-is-the-present-and-tomorrow-is-the-future/) QueenColor495 > [I never regret anything... because every detail of my past is what made me into who I am today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-regret-anything-because-every-detail-of-my-past-is-what-made/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today is going to be free of the past. Today, the past can't hurt me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-mohr/today-is-going-to-be-free-of-the-past-today-the-past-can-t-hurt-me/) [Joshua Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-mohr/) > [“Today is now. Part of today is in the past, part of today is in the future. You cannot change the past only learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-timm/today-is-now-part-of-today-is-in-the-past-part-of-today-is-in-the/) Patrick Timm > [I never regret anything that I did or didn't do in the past, it made me who I am today and that is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-never-regret-anything-that-i-did-or-didn-t-do-in-the-past-it-made/) Unkown > [I can't erase the parts of the past that made me who I am today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-erase-the-parts-of-the-past-that-made-me-who-i-am-today/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have to change your Past, then your Today will be taken away from you as well. You are here Today because you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-have-to-change-your-past-then-your-today-will-be-taken-away/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“there is no sense in trying to play that game with the past. Here is where we are today, and we can only make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/there-is-no-sense-in-trying-to-play-that-game-with-the-past-here-is/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [Live for today, not by yesterday, Live in the moment not in the past, because Today and The Moment lead to the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taelor-chardae/live-for-today-not-by-yesterday-live-in-the-moment-not-in-the-past/) [Taelor Chardae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taelor-chardae/) > [Live today to the fullest, and forget about the past. Today you can create a new way of living. You can change all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/live-today-to-the-fullest-and-forget-about-the-past-today-you-can/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [You cannot rectify grievances from the past with today's charity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/you-cannot-rectify-grievances-from-the-past-with-today-s-charity/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Why can't everything stay the same. Where there is no change. Where people don't die. Where you won't age. Where there isn't a past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-escobar/why-can-t-everything-stay-the-same-where-there-is-no-change-where/) [Karina Escobar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-escobar/) ## More by Robert Hewison > [Individually, museums are fine institutions, dedicated to the high values of preservation, education and truth; collectively, their growth in numbers points to the imaginative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/individually-museums-are-fine-institutions-dedicated-to-the-high/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [Many businessmen fail to understand Python principles--the ultimate absurdity was an offer from America to buy the 'format' of the Python shows, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/many-businessmen-fail-to-understand-python-principles-the-ultimate/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [ \[John\] Ruskin believed that everyone had visual as well as verbal capacities that needed to be developed in order to become a complete human… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/john-ruskin-believed-that-everyone-had-visual-as-well-as-verbal/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [Ruskin's concern for art education applied to the development of the power of the hand and eye for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/ruskin-s-concern-for-art-education-applied-to-the-development-of-the/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [Post-modernism is modernism with the optimism taken out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/post-modernism-is-modernism-with-the-optimism-taken-out/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) [Explore all 6 Robert Hewison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) ## More Capacity quotes > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [I was only operating at about 80% of my capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-was-only-operating-at-about-80-of-my-capacity/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/for-years-mental-health-professionals-taught-people-that-they-could/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,320 Capacity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved version of the past, then today can only be inferior to yesterday. Hypnotized by images of the past, we risk losing all capacity for creative change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Hewison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-is-an-improved-version-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capacity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-is-an-improved-version-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/robert-hewison-57141_capacity_if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-i_1458862.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the only new thing we have to offer is an improved version of the past, then today can only be inferior…” — Robert Hewison", "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": "Robert Hewison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the only new thing we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-is-an-improved-version-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/if-the-only-new-thing-we-have-to-offer-is-an-improved-version-of-the/#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 } } ] } ```