Lessons of History

TO LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST. In analyzing and evaluating historical ideas, actions, and/or individual people or cultures, we can apply their mistakes to our own lives and society, therby avoiding making the same errors. Whether it’s the collapse of the Roman Empire or the rise and fall of Soviet communism, we can make connections to current affairs and make better decisions in the present.

TO BE INSPIRED BY GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS. Rather than studying the mistakes of the past, we analyze and evaluate the successes. This is the opposite of learning from the mistakes. Studying the perserverance, creativity, and courage of those who lived before us can inspire us to see beyond our current reality and shape a better future. Our actions matter!

TO APPRECIATE ONE’S OWN CULTURE. Sometimes we take for granted the great privelages, opportunities, and freedoms that we have. In analyzing and evaluating things like the Spanish Inquisition or the struggle for civil rights that Americans went through in the 60s, we develop a deeper appreciation of the time we live in and are more likely to be proactive in positively impacting our country and the world.

*Note: These can overlap, as the last one is often an inherent effect of studying the first two.