温故知新 [ONKO CHISHIN]

In this expression, 知新 means “new knowledge” while 温故 means “to visit the old”, thus making a connection between the “old” and the “new”.

Whatever has passed is not up for grabs anymore. It existed or exists now and it has become an undeniable fact. Just like the seed was here before the tree, the past will always be here before the present or future reaches us.

This mindset is set deep in Japanese culture and can easily be found in how every company in Japan works. They will look for examples, for facts in the past in order to understand where they can go from there. After all, if a mistake was done in the past, you can then avoid it and if a success happened, you may be able to repeat it in a new context.

It is important to insist on the goal here. It is not to just repeat it. The goal is to understand the past and learn from it.

“Exploring the old and deducing the new makes a teacher.”