It seems like when someone mentions history in a school setting, it is usually met with moans and groans from the students — probably most likely from those being forced to study it. However, I am not one of those people — in fact, I am on the other side of the spectrum because I enjoy learning about history immensely. It may seem boring to some, but when it is a topic that I enjoy, I am fascinated and hooked. Learning about certain figures such as Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar provokes certain emotions that I cannot simply put into words. Each figure has done things that are both seemingly good and other things very controversial and it is the contrast between the two types of things that provokes thinking about who they were.
There are some figures that are easy to look up too, such as Gandhi, while others are more polarizing such as Karl Marx. Why people did what they did and how really brings about learning that is not only beneficial on an exam but also can be applied to the modern world. The very popular phrase “History is doomed to repeat itself” holds very true, especially when it comes to political regimes or conflicts and the such. Looking back, we can see what was successful and what was not. How did Gandhi liberate India with nonviolence? Why did Marx’s ideology spread throughout the world? Why was piracy during the 1600s and 1700s popular? Even looking at only US history, we can look back at prior presidents and their cabinets and how they dealt with issues similar to the ones we are facing now — like FDR combated economic crises or how did Reagan deal with Russia (USSR at the time) and the Middle East.
My beginnings with history not only started in school like most people, but also at home as well with my older brother, Jose, and my father putting on History Channel documentaries when I was in elementary/middle school. I know that sounds boring to most people, but my love for history truly started there and I thank my brother and father for that. Hearing about how Alexander the Great conquered 80 to 90 percent of the known world at the time and how Julius Caesar used his cunning and intelligence to overcome his foes was awe inspiring for me and it still is.
Understanding the world around us not only is learning about science, but also the history that the planets contains — hundreds of thousands of generations that have lived and died for a wide array of reasons. Our humanity in a way is tied to the history of the people that lived before we did.
Learning and thinking about possible other scenarios that the world could have went is also fascinating (shoutout to AlternateHistoryHub) after knowing about certain key events that took place in our world.
In many ways we can look to the past for guidance on what to do or what not to do in the future. We learned about the telltale signs and how people like Hitler rise to people and how Gandhi was successful in his nonviolent campaign. In these days of advancement, we have to recall what has already happened in order for us to possibly prevent a fatal misstep.
