Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it – Edmond Burke
Study the past and you will define the future – Confucius
That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach – Aldous Huxley
Story time
I spent a total of 6 years as an undergraduate studying physics. A field of study so expansive, deep and rich it asks some of the most fundamental questions about the nature of the universe we all live in. It extends from the subatomic particles that make up all matter in the universe, to the universe itself, larger than anyone can imagine. In an absolute sense physics presents its students with a solid foundation upon which any other field of study can be stemmed from. But in another more pragmatic sense, burying your head in such a heady subject will detach you from any form of typical day to day undertakings the vast majority of people will spend their lives in. In other words, while physics does indeed aim to delve into the very fabric of reality we all exist in, that depth is usually so far removed from anything experienced on a human scale that it has very little practical use.
As a fresh-faced graduate, newly equipped with some valuable time and energy to think about something other than school, it quickly dawned on me that I had very little knowledge of the world I lived in and was going to try to take on. Thankfully, I have a natural curiosity around just about anything and with my newfound time I identified history as one of the most important places to start. After all, what good is an understanding of the world I lived in if I had little to know idea how we got here in the first place?
And how right I was! I searched for a number of resources I could bury my head into to expand my knowledge of humanity. Two well known and extremely beneficial books I started out with were “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari and “Guns Germs and Steel” by Jared Diamond. Both take grand high-level surveys of human history as a whole and served as the modern foundation of my journey as a history nut. I also quickly realized a breadth-first approach like this was what I was missing my whole life.
An amazing and unexpected thing started to happen the more I learned. The past and present started to merge together until I came to realize that I was actually living the history I was reading about. My whole life I had a mental divide between the past and present, but this new connection brought history up to the present in a more personal way than I ever imagined.
My schooling career did attempt to cover some history. 99% of it only covered Canadian history and at the time I honestly cared very little, and now I know why. Between lessons about Vimy Ridge, the 2nd world war, and the most uninteresting early politics of Canada (all important topics to study I might add) I couldn’t bring myself to emotionally resonate with nearly anything being taught and the main problem was that it lacked context.
History was taught as a series of mostly fragmented events that occurred within the past 200 years, instead of what it really is, a continuous, interconnected symphony of the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of the 100 billion+ humans of planet Earth over the past 100,000+ years. It is the most awe-inspiring, complex and inspiring story, complete with countless wars, adventures and love stories that spans the entire globe. And if I may steal the title of the 1965 religious epic, the history of humanity is the true greatest story ever told.
Why isn’t history taught well?
Allow me to suggest problems I see and solutions for them regarding the act of teaching history. This is by no means saying all history taught around the world is taught poorly, or that I have all the answers. I have no doubt there are thousands or even millions of brilliant history teachers and curriculums but since I graduated high school (and university) not knowing what a goddamn empire was, I know more can be done, so I will share my two cents.
History is taught as a bunch of dates and facts
Welcome to the reason that most often comes to mind for people (shout out to Ferris Bueller’s history teacher). The solution for this one is in theory simple, but difficult in practice. While history can indeed be broken down into dates and facts, it is the interconnectedness and cause and effect nature of it that makes it not only more complete, but more enjoyable to learn as well. Who knew that humans and wolves working to hunt 20,000 years ago would have led to bulldogs with breathing problems, and chihuahuas? Or that a handful of brilliant 19th century scientists discovering how to harness the power of electricity would have led to lower rates of sex among young adults in the 21st century due to smartphone addiction?
History isn’t taught broadly enough
I alluded to this earlier, but once I finally learned on my own about how and why humans spread across the globe, and how 5 centuries ago Europeans colonized the Americas, the Canadian history I was supposed to be taught as a teenager had SO much more meaning! Having a broad understanding of history can make learning the specifics so much easier and enjoyable. The world is globalized now and the study of history in school should now be reflective of that. A comprehensive overview of world history should be taught to students around the world if they are indeed to go out into said world to create a better future, no?
Teachers may not have enough fire in their bellies
Again, I do not mean to say that all teachers don’t have the natural drive to inspire their students to desire learning history, but… I’m sorry to say that speaking from experience that many do not. And one of the reasons for this might be that they themselves had a lackluster education and if that is so, then conquering the above two points could go far to help this one along as well. But most importantly teachers really need to be passionate enough about what they teach to inspire their students to want to learn for themselves. This goes for all subjects, but I want to emphasize history here because it is typically underrepresented and under-appreciated.
If the above three points are taken to heart, I truly believe that students of traditional school and life in general would not only enjoy learning history more but would use it to impact other areas of their lives.
Why even study history?
“But history is in the past, it’s not going to help me in the real world today”
“I just don’t find history interesting”
“It is just memorization overload”
“History is too ambiguous”
WRONG
Allow me to persuade you that history is not just important to study, it is perhaps the most important subject you will ever take.
1. History is not just history!
This is the most important reason to study history. As you study the broad and intimate chess moves made by humans past, you start to by extension learn how interconnected subjects of study really are. History is not just a study of the past. Study history in-depth and whether you like it or not you will also be studying:
Politics
Psychology
Finance
Economics
Geography
Sociology
Anthropology
Archaeology
Philosophy
Literature
Religion
Spirituality
Health
Place your focus on other subjects such as politics and finance instead and you will also find yourself delving into interdisciplinary fields as well. But in my opinion, study with a focus on history exemplifies this phenomenon the best.
2. History is YOUR story
People love stories. Tales of conquest, romance, adventure, betrayal, survival and redemption. They are so loved because people naturally imagine themselves as the characters within the stories. They take on a new meaning and become personal with the reader or viewer.
Well guess what? History is your REAL story. The beats of history, the conquest, romance, adventure, survival and redemption are the beats that lead to YOU existing in this world exactly as you are today. It doesn’t just exist in books and movies but in the very world you live in. If you truly realize this, history books will not seem like boring stories detached from reality. They will become reality and they will read like the greatest thrillers ever written. Take it personally.
3. History affects your life, everyday
Have you gone shopping recently and bought something with money? History is at play. Have you spoken to anyone lately? History is at play. Have you worked a job recently? History is at play. Have you traveled anywhere? Learned anything? Taught anything? Voted? Gone to church? Read a book? Watched a movie? I think you can see where I am getting.
The interconnected, interdisciplinary subject that is history has woven its way into every aspect of your life. To not at least strive to understand how that happened is to reject your own story; is to reject yourself.
Learn about the entwined nature of everything you do, and the world becomes awe-inspiring. A single leaf can radiate with the songs of the universe. The world becomes a more beautiful place.
4. History is guaranteed to affect your present and future
Confucius knew it. The more you understand your past, the better you will be able to define and predict your future. Much like a tree needs strong roots to grow tall, the same applies to your understanding of the world. New political orders will arise in your lifetime, more pandemics will happen, the climate you live in will change, more revolutions will take place, and new technologies will upend daily life for Earth’s citizens. You will be affected by all of these in your lifetime either directly or indirectly whether you like it or not.
You can of course react to these happenings blindly, with little to no understanding. After all, that is what most people appear to do. Or you can learn the lessons of history, they’re all there for you, as salient, accessible and as clear as they have ever been. You can connect the lessons and live your life with intentionality, strategy, and wisdom.
5. History can ground you in your identity
So many (if not all?) religions and cultures have origin stories. Many of these stories depict the beginning of the world itself. These stories exist for a reason, they can ground you in your own identity and the identity of the people you spend your life with. I won’t go into religion or faith in this article, I’m for now focusing on history as a discipline based on evidence. But identity is such an important aspect of being human and what better story to ground you in the world you live in than the story of the world you live in itself?
Points of caution
History is written by the victors. Not all of human history has been recorded. Throughout the countless number of wars throughout history, there are inevitably the losing sides who are unable to record what happened because, well… they’re dead. This bias is prevalent not just throughout historical texts but in just about everything you will ever encounter in your life. This is NOT a reason not to study history, trudge on.
Narrowing down what to focus on is no exact science. If all of human history were written down the volumes would fill a library the size of the earth. No one can learn even 0.001% of it so you have no choice but to pick and choose what seems most important. There is no perfect way to do that, but it has to be done.
History can and should be studied from many perspectives. For most historical events there is no single interpretation that can be taken as the one true viewpoint. Was Robert Oppenheimer a hero, criminal or something in-between? What are the problems and triumphs of capitalism? When would the lightbulb have been invented if Thomas Edison was never born? These questions and about a billion more do not have straightforward answers. And that is a good thing, the world isn’t a straightforward place. If it was, it would be boring as hell, trust me.
A call for understanding
Every new story learned, every new character introduced brings the infinitely complex story more into focus. You will never understand the full story, it is too complex and the whole thing hasn’t been recorded anyway. But I urge you and the education system to consolidate the stories and lessons of history to deepen your understanding of the world. You will have a better understanding of your future as well as live in a more beautiful world. Who wouldn’t want that?
How can we have billions of people voting in a democratic world when they do not even understand the history of democracy? What kind of future are we going to live if the leaders of tomorrow have not learned the lessons of the past? What kind of children are we going to raise if they are blind to the mountain of suffering, innovation, failures and selflessness that their entitlement rests upon?
The potential to construct the greatest, most comprehensive historical foundation for the next and current generations exists now more than it ever has. We have the ability to raise the most educated, deep-thinking, innovative game changers, the world has ever known. What then would it say about us if we don’t fulfill that potential?
Book Recommendations
Sapiens – a Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari
My favourite book I have ever read. It is popular for a reason. If you haven’t read this book yet, do yourself a favour and get on it!
Sapiens takes a very broad look at the history of humanity and asks some very foundational questions we as a species need to know. It explores concepts such as money, religion, countries, oppression, the future and so much more.
Written almost like a thriller, this book had me furiously turning the pages and was a key component into expanding my understanding of the world. This book will change how you see the world, and it is for the better.
Guns Germs and Steel – The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond
Why have some societies prospered while others have dwindled? What wins wars? In short there are three things, Guns, Germs and Steel.
This book asks very important questions. It looks at humanity from a high level and argues that no matter what part of the world they are from, there are universal circumstances and technologies that give some groups advantages over others.
Another very popular book on general human history, it takes you from Polynesia to the European colonization of the Americas. Why did the Europeans wipe out the indigenous Americans instead of the reverse happening? Was it inevitable to play out this way? What did Europeans have at their disposal that gave them such an edge over the indigenous Americans?
Read this book to discover the answers to these questions and more.
The Dawn of Everything – A New History of Humanity, David Graeber and David Wengrow
The newest of the books on this list. Published in 2021 it takes another sweeping look at the history of humanity but with the most updated research. Each page of this 526 page book is rich with insights not just about history, but about philosophy and thinking critically.
Graeber and Wengrow dispel some long held beliefs about this history of humanity. Beliefs around the primal nature of pre-agricultural hunter-gathers, how different societies clashed and interacted, what freedom and inequality really are and so much more.
This is not a book to breeze through. Read it slowly and purposefully. It is filled with enough wisdom and insights to sustain an academic degree. Like the other books on this list, you will not look at the world the same way after reading this book.
The Ancestor’s Tale – A Pligrimage to the Dawn of Life, Richard Dawkins
The only book on this list that doesn’t exclusively look at human history, but explores the history of life on Earth, all the way back to the single celled organism that is the ancestor of all life on Earth today.
Dawkins starts at present day and works his way backwards through the infinitely complex tree of life. As the clock rolls back more and more species become connected to the tree until reaching the ancestor to all life on Earth. This idea is one of the most profound you can learn. But along the way, through the biological lens, Dawkins offers deep insights into the human condition and will change how you see the world.
This book taught me a lesson I learned far too late in my life, that all life on Earth does indeed share an ancestor, that not just spiritually but biologically we are all connected.
