“We ought to remember the past, yes — but we shouldn’t allow it to consume us. We live in the present moment, and some people are too tied to the ideals of that period to fully move forward. We’ll never work through the future unless we accept the present. We must fill the twenty-first century with dreams.”
Since I’m spending the weekend over at LANcouver 2011, I thought that it was only fitting that I showcase a video game related quote for this week’s Sunday Snippet. After all, LANcouver is all about gaming, whether it be on a console, a PC, or a table top.
Hideo Kojima is best known as the mastermind behind the Metal Gear Solid series. He may not have the same kind of mainstream recognition as someone like Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, but fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise positively revere this man. A video game creator is no different than any other kind of artist; he or she needs inspiration, perspiration, and incredible vision.
In the quote above, he reminds us that while we should all know about our past, we need to live in the present. We can’t dwell on past concepts and past ideas if we want to move forward into the future. If we did dwell in the past, we would have never progressed to the horseless carriage or the personal computer. That’s not to say that the past isn’t important.
Kojima also said:
“Knowing the past leads to creating the future. We need to pass the torch and let our children read our messy and sad history with its light. We have all the magic of the digital age to do that with. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.”
It’s about the evolution of the human species. Each successive generation should be better off than the one that preceded it. Each generation serves as the foundation for the next one. Keep moving forward.
You cover both sides of this equation with look forward, but show our children our past, but I think you downplay the past as not important or that it isn’t as relevant as it really is.
The most important part of this equation is knowing the past so that you know the mistakes, what went right and how to use that to create the future.
Knowing the past, learning the past and using the past are much different from living in the past.
Great point. Those who don’t know their past are doomed to repeat it, as they say. At the same time, you still have to pay attention to what worked and use that experience and knowledge to your advantage.