Dearest readers, I promise not to totally nerd out here but I always found history, as a subject, totally fascinating. No, not remembering names and dates, but the stories we uncovered and reconstructed, to the best of our ability, about how people lived in the past, what they believed in, and how are (or not so far) we have come over thousands of years as a civilization. Still, my classmates who did not like history used to bug our teacher by asking the age old question: "How is history even useful to me today?" The answer my teacher gave, and many other ones I heard about, were high brow and not practical at all (not to mention difficult to follow if you are just a high school kid). Now, I know that this mistake many teachers make actually does us a great disservice because history, believe it or not, has a very practical everyday use. Check this out with me and let me know what you think.
History is always taken out of past, but is not always taken out of context. Context, dearest readers, repeats itself.
Sure, people say history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme but honestly every time I hear it, people do not take it seriously at all because they see historical progression as a straight line and refuse to acknowledge that newer is not always better and that the past never fully stays in the past. It is easier to live like that, I guess, but I do not think it is better. In fact, by knowing a bit about history of different countries and peoples, you end up being less surprised about our world today and you can speculate on the future more easily.
I was looking for things like quotes, primary sources- stuff like that- which are taken out of time but not out of context in our world today. I found quite a few and would like to share some of them along with my thoughts, but surprise surprise I will not mention who said it or wrote it. ;)
"For God’s sake, stop honoring externals, quit turning yourself into the tool of mere matter, or of people who can supply you or deny you those material things." This feels, among other things, like a warning to be careful with social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram; a little bit is ok, a lot puts you under control of those who run the platforms.
"The press must grow day in and day out- it is our Party's sharpest and most powerful weapon." This quote warns us that the media in any country has to be independent from the government, or else it will become a weapon turned most commonly against the people that a government should serve.
"I warn you against shedding blood, indulging in it and making a habit of it, for blood never sleeps." I think this is completely in context today because we have learned that many wars and other conflicts, once started, either never end or take decades or even centuries to end after the "official" date. This is why I think we avoid major conflicts, even if the price we pay is almost as high as the price of conflict itself.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." This is an old movie quote and but again, just because it is old, it does not mean it is out of context. It warns us of the eternal peril in relationships. No matter how much your significant other is head over heels in love with you, you can single handedly ruin the relationship. Someone should make that clip trend on TikTok mixed with other clips! :)
"History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right." This is scary but also completely in the context of the world we are in today. Snapchat and Instagram stories expire in 24 hours. When you go under advanced search on YouTube, the oldest upload date you can search for is, and I kid you not, "This year". Finally, we often see people in power trying things that did not work in the past, almost to the letter the same way they were done in the past, but then they tell us this time will be different.
"Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too." You see, when we as a society fail to listen to good old advice like this little gem, we end up toxic and polarized when we tell others to listen without thinking.
“If you're afraid - don't do it, - if you're doing it - don't be afraid!” This is great advice in our world today because sometimes we are so comfortable in our lives that trying something new makes us fear failure and either give up on the new thing or half-ass it.
"We cannot change anything until we accept it." Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." Why oh why do people in power not consider this? Do we need someone no longer alive who lived in the past not nearly as "advanced" as ours to tell them or us a basic truth such as this one?
So there you have it, dearest readers- quotes of words said or written by people from the past that are completely in context in our world today, either as warnings, or as criticism, or as prescriptions to cure some of our illnesses. It might be a good idea to stop thinking we are better because we are newer. Instead, it is more helpful to ask ourselves what historical context we are reliving today as individuals and as a society, and look to the past for answers, or parts of answers. Every good solution to a problem begins in the past. You can quote me on it. ;)
History is always taken out of past, but is not always taken out of context. Context, dearest readers, repeats itself.
Sure, people say history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme but honestly every time I hear it, people do not take it seriously at all because they see historical progression as a straight line and refuse to acknowledge that newer is not always better and that the past never fully stays in the past. It is easier to live like that, I guess, but I do not think it is better. In fact, by knowing a bit about history of different countries and peoples, you end up being less surprised about our world today and you can speculate on the future more easily.
I was looking for things like quotes, primary sources- stuff like that- which are taken out of time but not out of context in our world today. I found quite a few and would like to share some of them along with my thoughts, but surprise surprise I will not mention who said it or wrote it. ;)
"For God’s sake, stop honoring externals, quit turning yourself into the tool of mere matter, or of people who can supply you or deny you those material things." This feels, among other things, like a warning to be careful with social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram; a little bit is ok, a lot puts you under control of those who run the platforms.
"The press must grow day in and day out- it is our Party's sharpest and most powerful weapon." This quote warns us that the media in any country has to be independent from the government, or else it will become a weapon turned most commonly against the people that a government should serve.
"I warn you against shedding blood, indulging in it and making a habit of it, for blood never sleeps." I think this is completely in context today because we have learned that many wars and other conflicts, once started, either never end or take decades or even centuries to end after the "official" date. This is why I think we avoid major conflicts, even if the price we pay is almost as high as the price of conflict itself.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." This is an old movie quote and but again, just because it is old, it does not mean it is out of context. It warns us of the eternal peril in relationships. No matter how much your significant other is head over heels in love with you, you can single handedly ruin the relationship. Someone should make that clip trend on TikTok mixed with other clips! :)
"History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right." This is scary but also completely in the context of the world we are in today. Snapchat and Instagram stories expire in 24 hours. When you go under advanced search on YouTube, the oldest upload date you can search for is, and I kid you not, "This year". Finally, we often see people in power trying things that did not work in the past, almost to the letter the same way they were done in the past, but then they tell us this time will be different.
"Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too." You see, when we as a society fail to listen to good old advice like this little gem, we end up toxic and polarized when we tell others to listen without thinking.
“If you're afraid - don't do it, - if you're doing it - don't be afraid!” This is great advice in our world today because sometimes we are so comfortable in our lives that trying something new makes us fear failure and either give up on the new thing or half-ass it.
"We cannot change anything until we accept it." Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." Why oh why do people in power not consider this? Do we need someone no longer alive who lived in the past not nearly as "advanced" as ours to tell them or us a basic truth such as this one?
So there you have it, dearest readers- quotes of words said or written by people from the past that are completely in context in our world today, either as warnings, or as criticism, or as prescriptions to cure some of our illnesses. It might be a good idea to stop thinking we are better because we are newer. Instead, it is more helpful to ask ourselves what historical context we are reliving today as individuals and as a society, and look to the past for answers, or parts of answers. Every good solution to a problem begins in the past. You can quote me on it. ;)