Religions often partake of the myth of progress that shields us from the terrors of an uncertain future.
Knowing where the trap is-- that's the first step in evading it.
Historians exercise great power and some of them know it. They recreate the past, changing it to fit their own interpretations. Thus, they change the future as well.
Hope clouds observation.
Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.
Democracy is susceptible to being led astray by having scapegoats paraded in front of the electorate.