What does "look back" mean?

Interpretation: fortune telling means that there is no hope in this scientific research, but it gives people hope in despair, "looking forward to the next subject." Looking back is undoubtedly a spur to those who have failed, but if you give your future to a fortune teller, it is nothing more than self-anesthesia and is not desirable.

Sentence: He was born in the Tang Dynasty, and he failed in so many tests. This year, he saw a fortune teller say, "I hope I can study in the future."