Can we learn from history?
Dennis AuBuchon
July 31, 2010
Today many issues and situations are now taking place some of which bare a strong resemblance to things in the past. The question whether history is really our teacher can be found in these similarities. We as individuals have experiences from which we learn and move forward. This is part of our history. The history of our country and the experiences of the past are events from which our country can learn. To answer the question if history is really our teacher, the answer is yes. This reality conditioned on the action that we listen so we can learn. The concept of teaching is not something new but in order for us to learn we must listen and this is what our elected officials must do in these tough economic times.
Our country and the world have experienced many situations in the past and they will experience many situations in the future. There is a saying we learn from our mistakes but we also learn from our successes. History is really our teacher and we as individuals and as a country need to listen. Granted the situation we are currently in has not occurred at this depth and significance but we can learn from actions of the past. We must learn to understand what past actions have been taken if similar situations have existed compared to those we currently face. We must learn not only what has worked but what has failed and avoid actions which did not improve the situation. The question of whether history is our real teacher is open to our individual perception and how we understand the various events in the history of our country and us personally.
It is understood and accepted that mistakes have been made in the past with regards to specific circumstances, issues and actions taken. The actions taken with regard to issues of the past which did not work should not be used again when history tells us that they failed. There is a statement that states insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This statement which is a quote from Albert Einstein is just as true today as when Einstein originally made it.
There are going to be new issues that surface that appear to have no similarity to past events and in these situations we must understand what is involved, what caused it and what needs to be done to fix it. This is not just from a personal perspective but our country and the world. It is true that our elected officials are facing tough choices which will affect the future of our country and us as individuals. We as a country and other countries of the world have an established history with events that have shaped who they are and where they are today. The actions which have been taken to date may not have necessarily considered the actions of the past. This must change. Elected officials must analyze actions of the past to as part of their activity and/or decisions to be taken in the future. Our elected officials must remember the past to avoid the mistakes but build on the successes.
Remembering our successes and our failures with regards to actions taken will help to establish a good path to the future. Learning can only be achieved if we are willing to listen and understand the events of the past or to put it another way we must learn from our history so we do not make the same mistakes of the past. History is really a good teacher and is really the only teacher we have today and in the future. The textbooks used in our schools today are a result of the actions and events of the past. It would be difficult to teach a subject without some basic information from the past as predicting the future is difficult in a classroom environment. Examples of subjects that address past actions and events are history, computer classes and science.
One last point to make about history being our teacher is that the events of the past have shaped who we are today and the events of today will shape who we will become in the future. This involves not only our country but us as individuals. Every day we make decisions which will impact our future though we may not realize it then but it will become evident when events take place in our future. The paths taken in the past shaped the principles we currently have today. Let us choose the right paths for tomorrow so history defines that given the choices available we as an individual and as a country chose the right ones to make our country and the world around us a better place than it is today.
Our country and the world have experienced many situations in the past and they will experience many situations in the future. There is a saying we learn from our mistakes but we also learn from our successes. History is really our teacher and we as individuals and as a country need to listen. Granted the situation we are currently in has not occurred at this depth and significance but we can learn from actions of the past. We must learn to understand what past actions have been taken if similar situations have existed compared to those we currently face. We must learn not only what has worked but what has failed and avoid actions which did not improve the situation. The question of whether history is our real teacher is open to our individual perception and how we understand the various events in the history of our country and us personally.
It is understood and accepted that mistakes have been made in the past with regards to specific circumstances, issues and actions taken. The actions taken with regard to issues of the past which did not work should not be used again when history tells us that they failed. There is a statement that states insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This statement which is a quote from Albert Einstein is just as true today as when Einstein originally made it.
There are going to be new issues that surface that appear to have no similarity to past events and in these situations we must understand what is involved, what caused it and what needs to be done to fix it. This is not just from a personal perspective but our country and the world. It is true that our elected officials are facing tough choices which will affect the future of our country and us as individuals. We as a country and other countries of the world have an established history with events that have shaped who they are and where they are today. The actions which have been taken to date may not have necessarily considered the actions of the past. This must change. Elected officials must analyze actions of the past to as part of their activity and/or decisions to be taken in the future. Our elected officials must remember the past to avoid the mistakes but build on the successes.
Remembering our successes and our failures with regards to actions taken will help to establish a good path to the future. Learning can only be achieved if we are willing to listen and understand the events of the past or to put it another way we must learn from our history so we do not make the same mistakes of the past. History is really a good teacher and is really the only teacher we have today and in the future. The textbooks used in our schools today are a result of the actions and events of the past. It would be difficult to teach a subject without some basic information from the past as predicting the future is difficult in a classroom environment. Examples of subjects that address past actions and events are history, computer classes and science.
One last point to make about history being our teacher is that the events of the past have shaped who we are today and the events of today will shape who we will become in the future. This involves not only our country but us as individuals. Every day we make decisions which will impact our future though we may not realize it then but it will become evident when events take place in our future. The paths taken in the past shaped the principles we currently have today. Let us choose the right paths for tomorrow so history defines that given the choices available we as an individual and as a country chose the right ones to make our country and the world around us a better place than it is today.
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