Can we really learn anything from history? From time to time, we’re invited to look to the past, look at our history, and learn from it so that we do not make the same mistakes that our predecessors did. We read about our heroes in the past, their wise words and the things that they said, then we try to model our lives currently to those described by history. Is this wrong? Or is this right?
Well, I don’t even know what the right answer to this will be. Because if there is anything I’ve learned during my short time on earth, it’s that humans have a problem learning from history. We can have all the names of notable people in our heads, and we can know how every single thing went wrong in the past. But for many, they still do whatever they want anyway. They don’t care if they’re going down the same path as their predecessors did as long as they’re doing it to get what they want.
But then, I have to wonder, is history really accurate? Is history really enough to teach modern people how to live and act? First off, we all know that history is most usually told from a place of bias. Only the victors write history, and everyone who tells it does so in a way that paints them as the hero, or the victims, depending on what works best. And this particular story will go on to become culture and tradition for an entire group of people, which is what makes it so dangerous.
So yeah, there is always a bias in history. And because people who come after never really know what truly happened, they act on half-baked information passed down to them by people who only told them exaggerated versions of events. That’s awful, but it’s also reality.
On the other hand, though, there is the fact that most times, history is simply not good enough. The stories and lessons that history may have will only be good for the period and the people for whom the history was written. It’s just like when lecturers use 1980 marking guides to grade students in 2026. It will always be off, and many of them will fail. That’s what’s basically happening!
Some lessons in history will not work simply because they shouldn’t work in the modern age. And this is why when I hear people say things like, my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather, didn’t do xyz, so I can never do xyz either. Even though it means losing everything I have. This will be crazy because times have changed so much, people have changed, and the things that mattered to your father and his father don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things anymore.
History will tell you that by 25, a man should be settled down with family and have his life figured out. A woman should have kids already, be married, and be taking care of her home. But presently, that part of history will only send you into a life of penury and debt. It might have worked for our fathers and grandfathers, but not for us. Because we’re different people and we live in a different time.
So, what am I saying in a nutshell? History is never really a good teacher. Sometimes, living your life strictly according to history will only make things worse for you. With every passing day, things change on a grand scale. We might not notice it, but every day we witness history being made. And soon, our present will become history that those who come after us will look at for guidance. Hopefully, when we get to that point, they’ll find something that they can actually use to effect real change in their lives.
Maybe, just maybe, we don’t learn from history. We simply do whatever the hell we want.
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