Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

[wotcha]

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"


My dictionary says 'be condemned to' means 'be destined to' or 'be forced to', and I wonder

which meaning can be applied in this case.



Thank you. ^-^

[CarloSsS]

NOT A TEACHER

I'd say that "be destined to" is what it means.

[amigos4]

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"


My dictionary says 'be condemned to' means 'be destined to' or 'be forced to', and I wonder

which meaning can be applied in this case.



Thank you. ^-^

I think both meanings could apply to this quotation.

The following URL might be helpful: What does "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it." mean? - Yahoo! Answers

"Human nature has remained more or less constant throughout the centuries and many of the issues we face today are at least similar in some respects to the problems of the past. By taking note of the bad decisions persons made in the past by following natural human inclinations, we can avoid the temptation to make a similar bad decision today if faced with a similar situation. But, if we forget the lesson of the past, we will most likely follow the same natural human inclination and make the same mistake as persons did in the past."

Paraphrasing George Santayana's quote: "Those who cannot remember the past are destined to repeat it"; or "Those who cannot remember the past may be forced to repeat it". Both meanings work for me and capture the essence of Santayana's point.

[JohnParis]

I'd say that if you believe in destiny, then "are destined to repeat it" would be acceptable.
If you don't believe in fate, "forced to" would work.

[Raymott]

I'd say that if you believe in destiny, then "are destined to repeat it" would be acceptable.
If you don't believe in fate, "forced to" would work.

I think "destined" can be used in a non-magical way. "If you keep playing with fire, you're destined to get burnt one day." Its a reference to real-life probabilities rather than anything mystical; and I think the original saying means this.