FORWARD THINKING, BACKWARD REFLECTING

There is a constant battle between  forward thinking visionaries and backward reflecting traditionalists.  Forward thinking gives rise to movement, progress, freedom from prejudice, and speedy action.  Backward reflection gives rise to, authenticity of legacy, which has endured generation after generation. It is safe and secure.
On the flip side the forward thinking gives rise to fear of speculation, experimenting something new and different. No history of experience in experiments till the future reveals it.
On the other hand backward reflection give rise to no innovation, people, ideas are stuck in the  past and are irrelevant in the future.

Dharmik scriptures are very innovative friendly and at the same time the give some signal if one is going astray.
So there is Samavada or discussion.  When Pandavas married Draupadi, it was revolutionary, new, never a part of the regular culture, and it could never set a trend in the future, but still  it was very authentic.

Krishna asked the pandavas to break many rules.
Rules which were  causing blockage to progress. And they  also established  new rules without compromising the principles of the past. 

One rule was the rule of respect, Shakuni and Duryodhana used this rule against the pandavas to invite them for the gambling match.  Yudhisthira accepted knowing very well that it would be detrimental, but he could not disobey. And the rest is the history, they had to go the forest for 13 years.

Kurus wanted to use this facility again to cheat and misuse. Krishna was alert and used the new rule to break the misuse of the old rule.  Drona, Bhisma were killed by using the new law of utility. Knowing well that the law of utility  will  be misused in the future.  Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the leader to see that he does not break the old rule for sake of it, and or get stuck to the old rule by blocking the progress of the future.

We have seen in recent history, when the great Shivaji, used the principle of looting the non cooperative business people in Surat to establish his Swarajya.
However over time the Marathas, became  habituated to looting , therefore one of the reasons that they lost the battle of Panitpata is because the local Rajaputs and Jats did not help them for their wrong strategies. Was Shivaji's act  wrong?,
No  it was right but it had the risk of future misuse.  Therefore forward thinking and backward reflection go hand in hand with the sole understanding that every one who has to move forward must maintain the past principle.
Principles allow us to reflect, and action allows us to apply that principle for the present time.