Like most of those who study history, he (Napoleon III) learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
He was what I often think is a dangerous thing for a statesman to be - a student of history; and like most of those who study history, he learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones.
Learning from the past helps to ensure that mistakes are not repeated.
I once read that there are more biographical works about Napoleon Bonaparte than any other man in history.
Life has obliged him to remember so much useful knowledge that he has lost not only his history, but his whole original cargo of useless knowledge; history, languages, literatures, the higher mathematics, or what you will - are all gone.
Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.
I had always been fascinated with Napoleon because he was a self-made emperor; Victor Hugo said, 'Napoleon's will to power,' and it was the title of my paper. And I submitted it to my teacher, and he didn't think I had written it. And he wanted me to explain it to him.
That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.
Men do not learn much from the lessons of history and that is the most important of all the lessons of history.
This is the lesson that history teaches: repetition.
No one ever really 'learns' from history, because choices never present themselves in exactly the same way, and because you can always choose similarities and differences to fit current needs.