* I know I promised a series of essays on marriage (which are still coming in a few weeks), but I’ve been distracted recently thinking about the nature of history.
Nice work. I always like it when you get a wild hair and take off somewhere different. I’ve given some thought lately to the topic of history, usually right after some public facing idiot tells a bald faced lie about the past to justify some depredation in the fleeting present. My current favorite is “The American Civil War was fought to end slavery.” The fact is that the American Civil War “brought an end to slavery” but that is not WHY it began, or even WHY it was fought. I worry that the growing number of generations succeeding mine have no understanding of history at all, much less appreciate the value in its study. Do they even teach American History in government schools these days? I still want you to do a piece on “Human Nature.”
I am not a formal historian, but I will add a personal note on the study of history. I have been a professional investor for over 40 years. I took all the courses, learned all the financial theory, and earned all the certifications. They were of limited value - not worthless, but definitely of limited value. What has been the most valuable subject to study? Financial history, by far. And, of course, financial history is fully entangled with political and cultural history, so your study of finance necessarily extends beyond the financial record. I have learned, and re-learned countless times, that there is very little that is completely new under the sun, that historical patterns repeat because human beings of the past, present, and future are bonded by the unchanging characteristics that make us human. Here is a tip for anyone going into professional investing today: Cut the financial theory in half and double the financial history. No one else is doing it. This will be your secret weapon for long-term success.
I love your concluding paragraph: teaching kids to hate their forefathers is indeed "cognitive child abuse"!
Nice work. I always like it when you get a wild hair and take off somewhere different. I’ve given some thought lately to the topic of history, usually right after some public facing idiot tells a bald faced lie about the past to justify some depredation in the fleeting present. My current favorite is “The American Civil War was fought to end slavery.” The fact is that the American Civil War “brought an end to slavery” but that is not WHY it began, or even WHY it was fought. I worry that the growing number of generations succeeding mine have no understanding of history at all, much less appreciate the value in its study. Do they even teach American History in government schools these days? I still want you to do a piece on “Human Nature.”
An essay for the ages. Kudos!
I am not a formal historian, but I will add a personal note on the study of history. I have been a professional investor for over 40 years. I took all the courses, learned all the financial theory, and earned all the certifications. They were of limited value - not worthless, but definitely of limited value. What has been the most valuable subject to study? Financial history, by far. And, of course, financial history is fully entangled with political and cultural history, so your study of finance necessarily extends beyond the financial record. I have learned, and re-learned countless times, that there is very little that is completely new under the sun, that historical patterns repeat because human beings of the past, present, and future are bonded by the unchanging characteristics that make us human. Here is a tip for anyone going into professional investing today: Cut the financial theory in half and double the financial history. No one else is doing it. This will be your secret weapon for long-term success.
Those who control the present control the past and those who control the past control the future.