Why is History worth Studying?
A few years ago a book about women in the past appeared with an eye catching title: Herstory. Suddenly, the real meaning of a commonly used word became a lot clearer. History is indeed a story, not specifically about women or men, but about all those who have left some imprint on the age in which they lived. History can be defined most simply as the story of human actions in past times. Those actions tend to fall into broad patterns, regardless of whether they occurred yesterday or 5,000 years ago. Physical needs, such as the need for food, water, and breathable air, dictate some actions. Others stem from emotional and intellectual needs, such as religious belief or the search for immortality. Human action also results from desires rather than absolute needs. Some desires are so common that they recur in every generation; some examples might be literary ambition, or scientific curiosity, or the quest for political power over others. History is the record of how people …show more content…
Here “outside” refers to the cross section of the collective experience of other human beings, either now in the present, or what is more manageable for study, in the knowable past. Thus, the real justification for studying history is that it lets us see out beyond our individual birth box, into the rich variety of others’ lives and thoughts. History is a factual introduction into humans’ past achievements; its breadth and complexity vary, depending on the type. But whatever the type of history we study, by letting us see and giving us perspective that enables us to contrast and compare our lives with those of others, history liberates us form the invisible boards that confine us all within our birth
A few years ago a book about women in the past appeared with an eye catching title: Herstory. Suddenly, the real meaning of a commonly used word became a lot clearer. History is indeed a story, not specifically about women or men, but about all those who have left some imprint on the age in which they lived. History can be defined most simply as the story of human actions in past times. Those actions tend to fall into broad patterns, regardless of whether they occurred yesterday or 5,000 years ago. Physical needs, such as the need for food, water, and breathable air, dictate some actions. Others stem from emotional and intellectual needs, such as religious belief or the search for immortality. Human action also results from desires rather than absolute needs. Some desires are so common that they recur in every generation; some examples might be literary ambition, or scientific curiosity, or the quest for political power over others. History is the record of how people …show more content…
Here “outside” refers to the cross section of the collective experience of other human beings, either now in the present, or what is more manageable for study, in the knowable past. Thus, the real justification for studying history is that it lets us see out beyond our individual birth box, into the rich variety of others’ lives and thoughts. History is a factual introduction into humans’ past achievements; its breadth and complexity vary, depending on the type. But whatever the type of history we study, by letting us see and giving us perspective that enables us to contrast and compare our lives with those of others, history liberates us form the invisible boards that confine us all within our birth