Why Study History?

In my history class we are doing a unit on: why to study history. I am very interested in the subject and chose to write an essay for my final project. Please enjoy...

It is important to study history. There are many reasons for it, but the three that are most important to me are: not feeling alone, looking to history for inspiration, and character building.

In the painting Study History by Ricardo Levins Mosales, he demonstrates how history can help us not feel alone. He shows this with how the people are close together and holding hands. This is also shown through the poem at the top of the painting: “That in every generation there are times just like that time.” The final way he shows this is the twisted wheat in the front. It stands for resurrection. When something is resurrected, it comes back to life. Studying history can make you feel less alone when old issues are resurrected. Studying history can make us feel seen when we struggle alone.

In our class discussion, we talked about what studying history means to us. We settled on one main idea: inspiration. History can inspire you. Looking back is how some of the greatest inventions and systems of our time have been made. For example, American democracy was based on ancient Roman governing systems. When we study history we can also be inspired by people. These can be famous people like Susan B. Anthony, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or even a family member or local hero. Studying history can be used to inspire change and your daily life.

In John Demos’s speech, “The Importance of History,” he talks about how studying history is character building. He lists five qualities: “imagination, empathy, perspective, humility, and beauty.” All of these build a great character, but I want to focus on a specific one: perspective. History can teach perspective because with every lens you look at history through, you see a different photo, a different story, a different view. It is often said that history is written by the victors. When we hear history through the perspective of oppressed peoples, we see our world differently. Studying history can change your perspective on your life, just by flipping the lens.

It is important to study history. It can change your outlook on life. It changes your perspective, inspires, and helps you feel less alone. So next time you feel stuck in our monotone technological world, give studying the past a chance.