history repeats itself

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

patterns, events, and mistakes from the past tend to recur in similar forms because human nature and social dynamics remain essentially constant across generations; the saying is used to warn against ignoring historical lessons and to observe that cycles of rise and fall, conflict, economic boom and collapse, or social change tend to echo earlier episodes; often quoted alongside the philosopher George Santayana's remark that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it