lessons from history are not far to seek
Proverb meaning that one can learn from recent or nearby historical examples; the warning or model is close at hand. Originates from a Confucian saying about the fall of the Xia dynasty serving as a mirror for the Yin.
As the saying goes, 'lessons from history are not far to seek'; we should learn from past failures.
From the classical Chinese phrase 殷鑑不遠 in the Book of Odes: the Shang dynasty’s warning example lay close at hand in the fall of the preceding Xia dynasty.