If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind us!
quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Related quotes
God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them.
quote by Stanley Lindquist

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.
quote by Aldous Huxley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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What experience and history teach is this - that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it.
quote by Hegel

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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History Will Teach Us Nothing
If we seek solace in the prisons of the distant past
Security in human systems were told will always always last
Emotions are the sail and blind faith is the mast
Without a breath of real freedom were getting nowhere fast
If God is dead and an actor plays his part
His words of fear will find their way to a place in your heart
Without the voice of reason every faith is its own curse
Without freedom from the past things can only get worse
Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later just like the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
History will teach us nothing
History will teach us nothing
Our written history is a catalogue of crime
The sordid and the powerful, the architects of time
The mother of invention, the oppression of the mild
The constant fear of scarcity, aggression as its child
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Sooner or later
Convince an enemy, convince him that hes wrong
Is to win a bloodless battle where victory is long
A simple act of faith
In reason over might
To blow up his children will only prove him right
History will teach us nothing
Sooner or later the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later the world first day
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
Sooner or later we learn to throw the past away
History will teach us nothing
History will teach us nothing
Know you human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
Know your human rights
Be what you come here for
song performed by by Sting

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Shining Light
Oooooh...
Something was pulling me
Without knowing what was leading me on
Your shining light, your shining light
In my darkest hour, the only way to bring the dawn
Was your shining light, your shining light
But youre unaware your shining light is even on
Like with a little glance when you take me by surprise
And I take a chance and I see it all through your eyes
Free me from my history, show me where to draw the line
By lighting up the mystery, and you dont even know that it shines
Im not worried now about flying too close to the sun
Your shining light, your shining light
When december skies are cold
Well, you know I will always run
To your shining light, your shining light
But youre unaware your shining light is even on
Like with a little glance when you take me by surprise
And I take a chance and I see it all through your eyes
Free me from my history, show me where to draw the line
By lighting up the mystery, and you dont even know that it shines
I wont abuse it, so please just let it glow behind your smile
Let me use it, let me feel the warmth like a little child
Who understands your glance, though it takes me by surprise
And I take a chance and I see it all through your eyes
Its your shining light, from my history, and it pulls me out of my mind
Its your shining light, you dont even know that it shines (by lighting up the mystery)
Its your shining, its your shining light
Its your shining light, oooooh
Its your shining, its your shining light
Its your shining light, you dont even know that it shines
Its your shining, its your shining light
Its your shining light, oooooh
Its your shining, its your shining light
Its your shining light, you dont even know that it shines
song performed by by 10000 Maniacs

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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God's White Light.
God's beautiful white light comes down on me,
Guarding from all gossip, reminding that I am always in Thee.
I am always guided for the right things to do,
That my soul knows clearly how to walk in whose shoe.
No evil can touch me from that shining white light
My lessons in life come with ease and my brain is bright
To pick up God's right wishes to follow,
Learn and teach my world to progress and not to stay hollow.
Show me my God clearly the lessons I have to learn,
That I can overcome them all with ease & everlasting life I could earn
Help me to keep that beautiful white light,
That who ever wants to destroy me would loose their right.
poem by LaSoaphia QuXazs

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That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.
quote by Aldous Huxley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Men do not learn much from the lessons of history and that is the most important of all the lessons of history.
quote by Aldous Huxley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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State Of Our Souls
The state of my soul
is my problem
the state of your soul
is your problem
why judge in states
of isolated imperfection
the states of our souls
are individual journeys
life holds your challenge lessons
to teach your imperfect soul
life holds my demanding lessons
to teach philosophical lessons universal
imperfection is price of entrance
into this world of testing sorrows
imperfection is imbalance of disharmony
allowing hardships to teach lessons
no soul can learn refining lessons
in a garden of happiness
no soul can endure perfect creation
until emotive dross is burned purity
poem by Terence George Craddock

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To Experience the Meaning that Is Felt
People are not born to be...
Thoughtless.
Uncompassionate.
Inco nsiderate.
Cynical, sarcastic, ruthless and cold.
There are just too many folks,
Who are willing to teach these lessons...
At a reasonable price one gets to pay.
And it seems that those who learn their lessons well,
Know just what to say at that appropriate time.
One foot with toes stepped on...
Does not make the other foot,
Available...
To experience the meaning that is felt!
And those who get it,
Usually get what is coming to them...good!
Those who prefer their coffee,
With cream and sugar...
Will know the difference,
When it comes to them served...black!
And unapologetic if the taste of it is too strong.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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Wicked Teacher
Experience a wicked teacher
You push us into test
And examine our stuff
Before you begin to teach
How rigid you are
Your lessons linger on
Your scars never fade
Your memory ever fresh
Experience a wicked teacher
You don’t care about age
You teach the young
And warn the old
Experience a wicked teacher
You don’t pity our scars
But leave us with time
To bind our wound
Experience a wicked teacher
You never stop your test
Often we dodge it
But to meet it ahead.
poem by Seun Bewaji

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A Scratching Done Under The Surface
It is foolish for anyone to perceive,
And believe...
They can approach others,
With the notion they can teach lessons...
Without knowing the experience,
Or a past history just by observing one's 'cover'.
A scratching done under the surface.
Or at least some knowledge of what one knows,
Will save another from embarrassment.
And a cold shoulder one unintentionally...
Shows without a doubt,
Can and will be exposed
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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From their experience or from the recorded experience of others (history), men learn only what their passions and their metaphysical prejudices allow them to learn.
quote by Aldous Huxley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In the long night
In the long night
The long, long night
How bright
The light of passion shines!
The summer heat
How obstinate
It is:
Yet in the night
The long, long night
How bright
The light of passion shines!
And winter frost
And neighing wind
Behind the window panes
And doors:
And the shrill call
Of nightingales
In Spring:
No difference will make:
For
In the long, long night
How bright
The light of passion shines!
poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Lesson In Love
I'm not proud, I was wrong
and the truth is hard to take
I felt sure we had enough
but our love went overboard
lifeboat lies lost at sea
I've been trying to reach your shore
waves of doubt keep drowning me
All the dreams that we were building
we never fulfilled them
could be better, should be better
for lessons in love
For restless eyes egos burn
and the mold is hard to break
now we've waded in too deep
and love is overboard
heavy hearts token words
all the hopes I ever had
fade like footprints in the sand
All the homes that we were building
we never lived in
could be better, should be better
lessons in love
if we lose the time before us
the future will ignore us
we should use it, we could use it, yeah
Lessons in love
Lost without love...
Lessons in love
When will you ever learn
Lessons in love
When there's nowhere left to turn
Lessons in love
Don't let your spirit burn
Lessons in love
I'll wait 'till you return
All the dreams that we were building
we never fulfilled them
could be better, should be better
for lessons in love
All the homes that we were building
we never lived in
could be better, should be better
lessons in love
if we lose the time before us
the future will ignore us
we should use it, we could use it, yeah
lessons in love
song performed by by Level 42

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Lantern Fly
Lantern fly
just like you
I am fascinated with lights
especially in the dark
I want to get close
even to the littlest light.
Lantern fly
just like me
do you know what love is?
just like me
do you know what sorrow is?
Lantern fly
come in to my hut
and let's watch together
the light of my little lamp
just be careful
not to get too close
because it may lead you
to your end.
poem by Marites C. Cayetano

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Images Of The Sun
Sun shines
waves caress
sand's so hot
winter must confess
White and brown
seem to fly all around
and the sun shines
but shines not on me
Seagulls high
lonely bay
I shout at the waves
who hear not what I say
The tide is in
and the sun shines
thoughts so quiet
on images of the sun
poem by Chris G. Vaillancourt

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Life's lesson!
Life's lesson, always changing not the same,
Sometimes hard, Sometimes easy,
Sometimes confusing, Sometimes daunting,
Theories of life's lessons,
Lighthouse in the sea shore,
It is always flicking and hiding,
Why do we learn through our own experience?
After many hours and years of research,
Theories are derived and approved.
Though it is wrong or right,
Why are we interested in learning,
Though our own experience?
The fire is hot; still want to touch it,
The volcanoes spewing, still want to dive into it,
Though the Arrival of tsunami is visible,
Not run opposite, but run towards it,
Why do we like to learn the life's lesson,
Through our own bad experience?
poem by Veeraiyah Subbulakshmi

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Lessons
THERE are who teach only the sweet lessons of peace and safety;
But I teach lessons of war and death to those I love,
That they readily meet invasions, when they come.
poem by Walt Whitman

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Sonnet -On Experience
One cannot learn from experience always,
For Knowledge is a sea; experience, Lake;
Some learn the same in hours or weeks or days;
Some never do all life, forever fake.
Experience implies one had done mistakes;
It is much wiser to learn from others;
To forget knowledge too, experience makes;
A continued process, it is, brothers.
Experience can't vouchsafe a man is wise;
And wisdom comes to one who God well loves;
Too much of experience could turn a vice.
All need not see the burst of bombs or stoves.
By experience, no man should turn haughty,
Nor should he try to be with peers, naughty.
poem by John Celes

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