Of all the academic subjects in the world, none seems to have the reputation for boredom and pointlessness quite like history (mathematics gives it a run for its money, but you can at least see the importance of maths in building a bridge, or when you have 62 watermelons and you give 13 to Jimmy and you want to know how many watermelons you have left). History, it seems to many, has no good answer to “When are we ever going to use this?” aside from the (in)famous rebuttal “those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it” (or one of its many variations).

I love history (generally), and I voluntarily read all sorts of things to learn it, but I understand why some people don’t share my enthusiasm. I’ve realized, however, that when someone says, “I hate history” they’re putting some serious limits on the things they don’t hate. Let me explain.

We tend to view history as one of the many subjects available for study, alongside maths, music, engineering, basket-weaving, etc. etc. etc. While this is a useful way to delineate subjects and topics, the reality is that the study of any subject is, in large part, history.

Take politics for example: in order to be an effective politician, you must have a thorough knowledge of what has happened in a nation or region’s past, who its enemies are, what kind of internal conflict has occurred, what laws are already in place, who not to mess with, who you can definitely mess with, and so on (this is generally what is taught in “history” classes).
To be an engineer you learn about Newton, Einstein, Maxwell, and a host of other influential figures, as well as past structures, inventions, and/or developments in the field.
To be a musician you learn and perform historical pieces of music, learn about the various styles, instruments, and influences of different time periods, not to mention the composers and performers of those times.

The examples go on and on with nearly every subject, and even though most subjects aren’t solely history, it’s easy to see why learning the history of a subject is vital for an adequate understanding that subject (If you have any examples of subjects in which you don’t need to learn any history, I’d love to hear them). Learning history doesn’t even stop with professional or academic pursuits; we develop our friendships and relationships in large part by learning (and participating in) the histories of those around us. We can’t even understand ourselves if we don’t understand our own personal history.

We are what we are, we know what we know, and we do what we do because of history. Each moment has been shaped by the events that preceded it; if we don’t understand the past, we don’t understand the present. Without understanding the present, we are unprepared for the future. As Maya Angelou said: “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.”

Overall, even though some might hate it and many fail to see the value of learning it, history, in all its forms, is one of the most important subjects for us to learn. Without a knowledge of the past, we really are doomed to repeat it: in engineering, art, and our own lives.

One last thought, as a corollary to what I’ve said so far: though history is vitally important to learn, we mustn’t get caught up in it. We learn history not to dwell on the mistakes of the past or to lament the conditions of the present; we learn history so we can learn from those mistakes and better shape our future. The second part of the quote from Maya Angelou is this: “I have respect for the past, but I’m a person of the moment. I’m here, and I do my best to be completely centered at the place I’m at, then I go forward to the next place.”

We don’t make or fail to make history. The sands of time flow regardless of the actions we take, and history is made whether we like it or not. We only have to decide what our place in it will be.

• Uncategorized