Decisions are historically conditioned, so past choices constrain current ones

Evidence

The starting point of any advanced path dependence thought stresses the importance of past events for future action or, in a more focused way, of foregoing decisions for current and future decision making. Hence, decisions are conceived of as historically conditioned— “bygones are rarely bygones” (Teece, Pisano, & Shuen, 1997: 522). In short, the basic thesis holds that history matters (e.g., Nooteboom, 1997; Sewell, 1996). — Jörg Sydow, Georg Schreyögg, and Jochen Koch, Organizational Path Dependence, 11

Categorization

• XREF: The inverted economic maxim ‘bygones are rarely bygones’ deliberately echoes the sunk-cost axiom ‘bygones are bygones’—useful contrast for any work on sunk costs or escalation of commitment. — connects to: Historical events result from contingent decisions that could have gone otherwise — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 116; Entrenchment means past decision makers asymmetrically constrain future political choices. — Daryl Levinson and Benjamin I. Sachs, Political Entrenchment and Public Law, 486
• APHORISMS: ‘Bygones are rarely bygones’ is a compact piece of practical wisdom for decision-making: you rarely get a clean slate.