Does History Matter?

History is a story about the past that is significant and true. We are History, history is everything, and everything will become history. Without history, we cannot understand anything. Those who control the past control the present. Those who control the present control the future. George Santayana said, ''Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' The study of history matters because we learn from the mistakes of the past and hopefully learn to avoid those same mistakes made in past. By studying our ancestors, we see the mistakes that were made and learn how to avoid those mistakes. By learning from the mistakes that have been made by others, we are able to avoid the same mistakes and make more progress in economics, government and technology. If we always do what we have always done, we will always get what we always had. We must know history in order to understand the present and past. We get answers of our questions by studying historical events. We study history so we can understand the world around us, and make wise decisions based on what we have learned from the past. History is not about memorizing facts and knowing everything on a time-line; it is about analyzing people and societies, and interpreting the decisions that were made so that we can understand the big events of our time. We must learn from the past and understand the world so we can live in it properly. The study of history is important for a number of reasons. One of the most important reason is that it enables us to appreciate the importance of institutions such as democratically elected parliaments, the rule of law, trial by jury, an independent judiciary, and the need to protect them. Another important reason is that history provides us with a frame of reference that enables us to recognize danger to our society, both from within and externally, and it provides guidance as to how to deal with those dangers when they arise. I believe that it was the English philosopher Roger Scruton who page that denying children a solid grounding in the history of their country was calculated to produce a generation of gentle sheep that could be easily led by their political masters. History is important because it helps up to understand the national and international affairs. It also helps policy makers to make good policies in the context of a specific region. For example the history of Afghanistan says that nobody can win there. If policy makers know this fact they will never argue their country to interrupt in its affairs. If a country like the USA has attacked, it will ultimately result in its humiliation. So, history can teach us a lesson, but it cannot replace our own thinking. Edited and written By: Ghulam Shabbir