Are We Doomed to Repeat History?

Periods of rapid change can feel disorienting. Information multiplies, social norms shift and public debate becomes polarized. In these moments, it’s easy to believe that history is repeating itself—or that the past has little relevance to the decisions we face now.

Drawing on historical insight, cultural memory, and lived experience, Canadian historical novelist Cinda Gault explores history as something both deeply personal and immediately practical. This topic examines how individual memory, family narratives, and shared cultural moments shape perception, influence decision-making, and surreptitiously guide responses to uncertainty. History, in this framing, is not confined to archives—it lives in the stories we inherit and the choices we make every day.

Rather than treating history as a warning or a constraint, this work approaches it as a resource. By recognizing recurring patterns—social, cultural, and personal—individuals and organizations can interrupt unhelpful cycles and respond to change with greater clarity and agency.

Audiences engaging with this topic gain:

• Tools for recognizing patterns during periods of disruption
• Greater perspective when navigating uncertainty, conflict, and change
• Insight into how historical awareness supports more intentional decision-making

This topic appears across Cinda Gault’s keynotes, conversations, and writing, where storytelling and historical perspective are used to illuminate how understanding the past strengthens present choices—and helps shape what comes next