What Has Been Will Be Again: Why I Repeat Myself, and Why You Need to Listen
“Whatever has happened in the past will happen again in the future. Whatever has happened before us now will be in the future as well. Nothing in this life is new. For everything that has been done before will be done again. This is so because the nature of man has not changed. We may have new ways of accomplishing the same goals but human nature remains the same.
The things that have been are the things that will be and the things that have been done are the things that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun.
This is precisely why I repeat myself.
Occasionally people will ask me, “Why do you keep repeating the same things over and over, Daniel?”
My answer is simple.
Because you did not listen the first time.
My repeating some of the same information may seem to be redundant. But I am trying to remain responsible for helping to lead the people who attend my meetings and seminars. That means I have to make sure that they have heard all of the lessons that are necessary for them to become successful.
Nothing New Under the Sun Means Human Nature Has Not Changed
Nothing new under the sun. This is not to say that cars, computers, smartphones and AI for instance will not bring change to our planet in the future. They certainly will. But the changes brought about by these and other things will always be tied to nothing new under the sun.
None of those things changed human nature.
In other words, even as our world is undergoing many changes as it has in the past, certain things will remain the same. People will continue to delay making difficult decisions
Why History Repeats Itself
Most people tend to procrastinate with respect to important decisions, and to avoid hard conversations with team members and staff. Many organizations recognize problems in their organization long before they become a crisis but do nothing until it is too late and then attempt to correct things quickly. Many families operate under the delusion that things will be the same tomorrow as they are today.
Then disaster strikes.
- Suddenly everyone wants answers.
- Suddenly everyone wants a plan.
- Suddenly everyone wishes they had listened sooner.
This is the reason things keep happening in the same way over and over again. Even though we have all the information we need to avoid the problems that befall us and others, we keep putting off the unpleasant task of planning and instead stick with the status quo until disaster strikes and then we are forced to react. This pattern has existed for generations.
Why Leaders Must Keep Repeating Important Lessons
Strong leaders understand something weak leaders often ignore:
There are many reasons why most people do not grasp the critical information that they are repeatedly presented with.
Repetition builds awareness
Awareness builds understanding.
Understanding drives action.
Action builds resilience.
That sequence matters.
In the military we would practice a drill over and over until we could conduct it in our sleep. We would repeatedly communicate the same commands and expectations to our troops until we could be assured that they completely understood what we were asking them to do even in highly stressful circumstances. Similarly, we would drive home the same high standards over and over again until they became the culture of our unit.
Why?
Under stress people do not rise to the level of their intention.
They fall to the level of training.
Training Determines Performance Under Pressure
This is not limited to the military though. Repeating important lessons in homes, in schools, in non-profits, in churches, and in for-profit businesses around the world is crucial as well.
If I repeatedly say:
- Preparedness is leadership
- Communication matters under pressure
- Plans alone do not create readiness
- Testing reveals weakness before crisis
…it is because these truths remain unchanged.
What has been will be again.
These are lessons that have to be repeatedly taught until they become part of how one thinks and leads.
Repeating Important Lessons Is Not Nagging. It Is Leadership
Some people confuse repeated messaging with nagging.
It is not.
Nagging complains without purpose.
Leadership reinforces truth until action follows.
There is a difference.
Why Warnings Must Be Repeated
A smoke alarm does not apologize for being loud.
A warning light on your dashboard does not care whether you are tired of seeing it.
Leaders responsible for protecting their employees are often annoyed by repeated messages of preparedness. They are annoyed because they know that preparedness for disruption is not a theoretical issue.
That would be negligence.
Preparedness Requires Reinforcement
I continue to harp on preparedness because real preparedness is built during long stretches when nothing appears to be happening. That is exactly why so many people ignore it. Preparation happens in the quiet. Disruption happens in the chaos. And when chaos arrives, there is no theory left; only consequences, capability, and leadership.
Once disruption begins, theory no longer matters.
Emergencies happen.
Cyberattacks happen.
Power outages happen.
Wildfires happen.
Flooding happens.
Economic disruption happens.
Leadership failure happens.
And when that moment of disruption arrives, the world does not reward ignorance.
It punishes it.
The World Punishes Ignorance
This may be the hardest truth in this article.
Ignorance is expensive.
Not knowing is costly.
Refusing to listen costs even more.
The Cost of Delayed Preparation
The world eventually collects payment for delayed preparation.
That payment does not always look the same.
- Sometimes it comes in the form of financial loss.
- Sometimes it shows up as emotional strain and exhaustion.
- Sometimes it erodes trust within families, teams, or organizations.
- And sometimes, the cost is measured in lives.
That may be the hardest truth in this entire article, but difficulty does not make it any less true.
Ignorance is expensive.
This is why I keep repeating the same messages.
Not because I enjoy hearing myself talk.
Not because I have run out of fresh ideas.
And certainly not because I have nothing new to say.
I repeat these lessons because human behavior remains remarkably consistent.
People ignore warning signs.
Leaders delay preparation.
Teams assume someone else is handling the risk.
Then pressure arrives.
And pressure has a way of revealing every weakness that preparation failed to address.
By the time that happens, consequences are no longer theoretical.
They are already in motion.
What Has Been Will Be Again: Unless You Choose Differently
Here is the good news.
Cycles can be broken.
Patterns can change.
Organizations can mature.
Families can become resilient.
Leaders can choose differently.
The phrase what has been will be again refers to human tendencies, not destiny.
Awareness creates opportunity.
Preparation creates options.
Leadership changes outcomes.
You don’t have to fail for the same reasons as the people before you.
But you must hear the lesson before the disruption makes you learn it.
That is the real challenge.
Not hearing the message.
Applying it.
So if you hear me repeat myself tomorrow, next week, or next month – you need to understand how I do things.
I am not repeating myself because I have run out of things to say.
I am repeating myself because truth worth hearing is truth worth repeating.
And somewhere that message will land.
Maybe for the first time.
Or maybe for the tenth.
Either way, if the message moves you to action then repetition has served its purpose.
What has been will be again.
Will you keep repeating the same mistakes or will you be ready?!
Till next time, stay informed and stay safe.
Daniel Kilburn
Founder Emergency Action Planning
P.S. What This Means for Real Readiness
The main message of this article is the same message found in Why Plans Don’t Prepare You.
Why Plans Don’t Prepare You, explains why written plans don’t prepare an organization for the realities of leadership during a crisis.
That mistake is not new.
- It happened yesterday.
- It happened today.
- It will happen tomorrow.
What has been will be again.
The leaders who succeed at implementation are not those who have the most detailed and well written plan. Rather, they are those who have embedded readiness into the culture, communication, training, and decision making of the organization. When the pressure hits, people are not going to pull down a binder and begin to read. They will follow a leader.
When pressure comes, people do not follow binders.
They follow leadership.
If you have enjoyed reading this article and would like to learn more about readiness and how to apply this to your organization then check out my book, Why Plans Don’t Prepare You.
This article was developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed, edited, fact-checked, and approved by Daniel Kilburn. All opinions, conclusions, and recommendations reflect the author’s professional experience and judgment.