We learn from history only when it is relevant to the present because this is our frame of reference. It is this present day mindset that makes it almost impossible to fully understand a previous culture. I’ve discovered, this summer, we tend to judge more than understand. Everyone has an opinion but few attempt to comprehend the past. It’s not so much what our ancestors thought that matters, but how they thought, that is significant. It’s not what happens that counts, it’s what you think it means. It’s about perception and perspective and significance. Great philosophers have said, “Nothing has any meaning in and of itself except the significance we attach to it.” One’s perception is both static and dynamic; it is genetic and environmental.
If we could only understand the past, living in the present would be easy. History is the story of what happens, humanity places significance on that story. How could you possibly attach significance to the past if you don’t understand what happened?
Most people I meet are vaguely versed in popular history where the past is modified to meet the distinct needs of the time. They have a distorted notion of what happened and then draw a conclusion from misinformation and attach significance to that story. Studying history is a process that examines many resources then draws a logical conclusion based on corroborating evidence. History intersects the present with the truth.
Are we being or becoming?
