Learning from the Past
The wise person studies history to understand the present.
Confucius valued studying the ancients and learning from history. The past provides models for behavior and warnings against mistakes. Wisdom connects past, present, and future.
Reviewing the old to learn the new - this qualifies one to be a teacher.
Historical knowledge informs present wisdom.
Analects
Written about in
- What Confucianism says about order in human life
The pattern is learned historically. Reviewing the old in order to understand the new is what qualifies a person to teach.