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Why History (Patreon)

Published:
2023-09-21 17:23:41
Imported:
2026-06
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Sometimes I ask myself why I spend so much time studying history, when this inevitably means spending thousands of hours reading about atrocities, tragedies and other depressing subjects. Here in the link are my reflections.

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Why History

This is not the first or the last time I'll be discussing this, since it's such a central theme of my work. History, unfortunately, doesn't play out like a feel-good movie. Open the pages of any history book, and it won't be long until you are faced with some highly uncomfortable facts.

Comments

MikeyLikesPodcasts

Consider we study history not just for people, dates, event or times but to be educated, informed and aware of the things you mentioned. Then we must do the best we can in our daily lives to ensure they do not happen again. The fact that they do happen over and over again tells me not enough people study history or have the means and opportunity to study history.

Scott

I sometimes think that those of us who can brave the abyss and not be broken by it, have a responsibility to learn what we can from doing so. I also do not think that history is actually darker or more tragic than the world around us today. It is helpful to see what has been as a reference point in many things, but even today, the world is full of pain and tragedy if you make any effort to look for it, and often even if you don't. Learning how people deal with difficult circumstances is inherently useful, as there are many that all of us face eventually. In many ways, history is a safer place to explore these ideas than the current world, because we know how those stories end. Being able to see their future lets us see what works or doesn't work, or what sometimes works under certain circumstances. Being able to see many contingent futures right now could be a very useful ability. I do not believe that any of us truly have it. History offers the potential to gain wisdom though, and make our insight into such matters a little bit keener. Also, stories are in many ways what define us. The mythology around Anansi explains this concept beautifully, (through a tragic story). I do not think we are, or should try to be a single thing, and definitely not a static thing, but stories are part of our identities in ways that are hard to quantify. Who would we be if we did not learn, tell, and try to create stories? We would be unrecognizable, and I cannot fathom that kind of existence. Stories that are true have additional value, though no stories are the whole truth, and good fiction has some important truths in it.

History on Fire
>>118187816

agreed 100%. I think one of the harsh aspects of--as you put it--knowing how the story ends is that so often it doesn't end well