Before we go forward, we have to look back

The expression “Before we go forward, we have to look back” is a makeshift maxim that turns Will and Squares’s decision to investigate into a method: before choosing their next step, they must examine the past. Its significance lies partly in its usefulness and partly in its improvised origin; Squares presents it as a proverb, then admits he invented it.

Origin in Conversation

Will asks Squares what they should do first after agreeing that Will will need his help. Squares answers with the principle “before we go forward, we have to look back,” framing the investigation as a backward-looking process rather than an immediate leap into action.

Will tests the saying’s authority by asking, “You just make that up?” Squares answers yes. The exchange punctures the borrowed air of an old proverb, but not the thought itself: Will concedes, “Guess it makes sense, though.”

Function and Meaning

The line gives a practical shape to the pair’s next move. Looking back becomes a way to decide how to proceed, linking recollection and inquiry to forward action. Because the maxim is invented on the spot and nonetheless accepted, the scene places its weight not on inherited wisdom but on whether the advice fits their situation.