By Ling Sing Lin
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the Sun.
—Ecclesiastes 1:9
Solomon
The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible is attributed to King Solomon. He was the son of King David and Bathsheba. King Solomon, is, to my mind, the ultimate pinnacle of success. His wisdom is acknowledged in the proverb As wise as Solomon; he had wealth, he had 700 wives (some for political reasons), and 300 concubines. Most red-blooded males would give their right arms to be in his place. And yet, this saying of there is nothing new under the sun, reflects someone jaded and bored with life. Perhaps, it was because he had too much of the good life!
All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten
I am reminded of this book, written by Robert Fulghum. It appears that there really is nothing new to learn after kindergarten. However, what it actually emphasizes is that our earliest education is the foundation of all we do in life. Some examples are: share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Principles don’t change
Both the above sayings essentially tell us that the principles or the basis of the underlying foundations don’t change. The applications though can change drastically. The seniors among us find there is so much change that many of us can’t cope with life in the 21st century. I often tell myself that it is time for me to go.
Communication
The people of my generation have gone from handwritten letters to emails and WhatsApp messages. We have gone from expensive overseas telephone calls with a telephone operator, to free video calls to anywhere in the world.
Transport
Modes of transport from trishaws/rickshaws, bullock carts and horse drawn carriages, to petrol powered vehicles and now EVs.
Apparel
We cover our bodies with clothes, but the number and styles of our clothes have changed drastically. When Jesus was dying on the cross, the Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ tunic so as not to tear it. Clothing was so rare and precious then, with people owning only one or two sets of clothing. Contrast that to the overflowing wardrobes of today.
Resilience
Life is constantly evolving, there are new discoveries, variations in what we do, so that life is actually exciting, and sometimes too exciting!
We should be prepared to learn new technologies, adapt to changes and develop resilience in this fast changing world.
There is nothing new under the sun, and there are many new things under the sun!
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
