Why Do We Learn History? Failure To Do So Dooms Us To Repeat Mistakes

(Editor's note about the author: T.O. Illustratio is a free lance writer and observer of the interaction of personalities in everyday life. The author seeks to inspire readers to look within themselves to see how much good they can do in this world when a definitive purpose in life is clear.)

They gathered in their usual cluster of friends, this time to ponder what to expect from this new educator they would meet for the first time. No one knew much about him, so wild speculation was the order of the day. The fact that he would be teaching them a subject that was either loathed or barely tolerated by the members of this clique didn't inspire any enthusiasm. They all held the same question, and weren't afraid to voice it. " Why do we learn history? Why do we have to relive the past?"

As for the teacher who was preparing for this first encounter, he knew what to expect because he could remember sitting in similar chairs having the same questions. His teaching method would follow the example of a past educator who showed him the value found when young people learn from the past. Would he be able to convey that same value on to this new class? He was about to find out.

"Why Do We Learn History? What Is The Point?"

After the perfunctory introductions and a review of expected classroom decorum, the new teacher would get right into the most important discussion. He believed in addressing the biggest challenge right away. Get that one out of the way and the rest is easy, was his opinion. Or at least his hope for today.

So he asked his new class what they expected to get from this semester. From the back of the room was a whisper of "bored" as an answer to his question followed by the snickering of those not bold enough to speak up and be heard. He let that one slide for now in hopes of inviting a more mature response or question.

After a silence that seemed longer than it was, a hand shot up. A student near the front asked the question they all wanted to ask.

"Why do we learn history? What is the point? Why should we care about dates and places from long ago?"

This was the opening he wanted and he didn't waste the opportunity. He responded, "Those are all great questions. Let me answer them in reverse order for you. You shouldn't impart any emphasis on remembering dates and places from long ago unless you understand the context of those dates and places and how they affect each of you in this moment in time.

As for the point about why we learn from the past, let me ask you this favor. Withhold any preconceived notions about this class until after we finish today. Give me a fair chance to show you how a study of history can impact your own personal lives. If I fail to convince you, then your doubts are justified and I will humbly accept the fact that you were correct in your initial assessment."

After another bout of nervous silence, some of the bolder, more demonstrative students said, "All right. You have today to convince us that this is worth our time."

A Study of History

"To being with, I won't be giving you any dates to remember. I won't ask you to remember any battles or treaties or speeches. I'll only ask you to think about what I'm telling you and how it might be impacting the life you are living right now.

Let's start with arguably the most famous early civilization. The Roman Empire covered vast regions of Europe and Asia. They were governed by an Emperor and a Senate. There was great prosperity within the confines of the empire. Modern cities, at least modern for that era with gleaming buildings and continual growth were found throughout part of the lands under their control. Extreme hardship and constant fear were daily experiences in other sections for those being occupied by the Roman army.

The Romans used a decisive residual income method of expanding and controlling their empire that was contradictory to marauding armies who were always not far away. Recognizing themselves to be superior in intellect, breeding, and preeminence, they moved ever outward, seizing new lands, killing enough of those unworthy wretches as necessary to quell opposition and then taking the younger human stock as slaves.

They allowed many of the working class to keep working because that meant more taxes could be squeezed out of the menial work of these undesirables. Their value as humans wasn't even considered. They were justified means to an end for this elite level of the world population.

The Romans paid off the lower level appointed position holders and certain church organizers to keep their wretches in line, for which they would allow these collaborators to skim more money from the unworthy ones. Silence and misinformation are the most effective ways for evil to flourish.

At any point where they became a nuisance or an inconvenience, these deemed not worthy of life regardless of age were killed, often in public spectacle to send a strong deterrent message.

It was necessary for the Romans to make deals with armies of vile infidels as they continued to spread their reach farther from Rome. They despised these deals and had no problem breaking the agreements if it benefited them. Roving gangs liked the Huns who believed in a scorched earth policy offering immediate gratification were becoming a threat to their widely spread armies. So they needed a buffer of sacrificial lambs to stand between them and bigger threats.

All the while the Roman ideal of superiority over all other humans kept them oblivious to what was happening within their friendly, safe city walls. Wealth can do wonderful things. It can also spawn jealousy and greed. The mighty Roman Empire would begin to collapse from within when the elite who sought total control and built their wealth on forced labor and denied opportunity began to turn on themselves. It would soon splinter in two and eventually fade away. Why do we learn history?

Many years and many totalitarian regimes later another dynasty was brewing in Europe. This one was fed by anger over very high prices for everyday items and a feeling of punishment from a past war. An unlikely agitator would convince enough of them to believe they were superior in intellect, breeding, and preeminence and that they needed to eliminate all the unworthy and unnecessary humans in their midst. Some of the younger wretches were held as forced labor until they were no longer useful. Then they were killed.

Those who thought themselves to be members of an elite class would jump in with this agitator and they would embrace this form of human control that was an offshoot of the Roman method of controlling the undesirables. The new elite class would borrow the methodology of a young American club of elitists who were embracing the ideal of eugenics founded in England.

Eugenics allowed the intellectually superior to determine who would live, who wasn't necessary, and who would be allowed to have children. While the sanitary theory was about purifying the human race of ailments, the practice became one of selective decisions on human life. The unlikely agitator would take this idea to new levels of destruction as millions would die under his vision of a master race.

Some of the lower level position holders and church organizers were paid off to keep their undesirables in line and to keep them quiet. Silence and misinformation are the most effective ways for evil to flourish.

At any point where they became a nuisance or an inconvenience, these deemed not worthy of life regardless of age were killed, often in public spectacle to send a strong deterrent message. It took years and more millions of lost lives to stop this evil. Why do we learn history?

Our own land of the free would dabble in eugenics in various forms. Elitists decided it was acceptable to force sterilization on anyone they considered to be feeble-minded or were people clearly inferior to themselves.

Forced labor was acceptable as well. In the name of bestowing their obvious cultural advantage on to such lower level humans, this elitist class took away long held lifestyles and used the same forced sterilization to eliminate this needless strain of humanity from adding any new members.

Some lower level position holders and church organizers were paid off to keep their undesirables in line and to keep them quiet. Silence and misinformation are the most effective ways for evil to flourish. Why do we learn history?"

What Do You Think?

The teacher looked at the clock and decided to gauge the results of his lesson. "What do you think? Do you see an impact on your lives?"

It didn't take long to get an answer. "It seems to me that whenever people remain silent about evil and greed, both of those things grow" was the first response.

And the next was, "We need to recognize when human life begins to lose value in favor of influence and power. Once that starts, it's hard to stop it."

And then the one that resonated throughout the class. "It seems like if we make the same mistakes as the Romans and those other ones, we will face the same fate."

The bell rang and the class continued to share opinions about learning from the past. They didn't memorize any historical dates or any speeches, but they did get an important lesson on their role as young adults in shaping their futures.

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