"The present is something stretched over the past." For the future, there cannot be any dissimilarity. Indisputably, there is almost nothing formed in a flash. Every single event has experienced a relatively short or long development before it comes into being. Therefore, when we are trying to solve the problem, looking backward and checking out ¬— how has it come to be, we can always find the cause and get the answer to figure it out. It is just like the allergy: not few people have faced the sudden skin erythema, which seemed like no reason, no sign, and coming out in one moment. But when we went to see a doctor with our anxiety, we would find that the doctor always asked some questions about what we had done before the erythema appeared, and a few minutes later we were informed that we had been allergic to something, then, we got some pills and were warned to stay away from the allergen to keep us healthy. When we have a problem in life, being a doctor and suiting the remedy to the case, we will overcome any difficulty and live a healthy, happy life.
Taking history as a mirror, and taking inspiration from the past, we will be wiser to handle our present and be clearer to chart our future. History often repeats itself — this is not only true for individuals, but also applies to the universe. Learning from the histories of others, makes people get a shortcut to approaching success and avoid obstacles leading to failure. For a simple example, I often "ask" Google