Our bodies are biologically designed to learn from the past - so why is it so difficult for us to appreciate history? Psychologists study the effects of conditioning, a form of learning, on humans. Based on our experiences, we will act accordingly when the situation arises in the future. Conditioning is literally learning from the past, and we as humans condition others and ourselves every day. Because we are biologically disposed to learn from our own past, it makes it that much harder to learn about others’ pasts because we must remove ourselves from where we feel safe in the present and view the situation from a foreign place: through someone else’s eyes. This is the only way to accurately look at history. If we attempt to view history through modern day terms and ideas, it can turn comedic – see Baz Lurhmann’s 1996 film William Shakespeare’s Romeo+ Juliet. Although an incredibly entertaining film, the humor at the awkwardness of the archaic speech combined with the modern setting at times overpowers the true emotion that is trying to be conveyed.
It is because of this reason that primary documents, when read correctly and are therefore understood, are much better teachers than textbooks, where many things become lost in translation. If a historical reading is done correctly, it should evoke an emotional response in the reader. Although studying history goes against our normal way of thinking and reading, the effort put into reading these documents correctly, not only changes, but challenges our thoughts and views on society as a whole. Textbooks are not personal, and thus have no resonance with students. Since textbooks are dense with facts and no emotions, they are hard to understand and easy to forget. This brings attention to a question Wineburg asked in his article, “Why study history at all?” Since it is so hard to pay attention to, especially in a school setting where it is incredibly dulled down, do we actually learn anything from it? If students are not prepared for the future by learning about the past, how can they make informed decisions as adults? It is not possible for one person to experience every event ever in a lifetime, but studying history and learning about humans in the past makes us humanized. It affects us as human beings and does not just add to our knowledge. If people knew this, would they even care?
These days, pop culture is more influential than history. There was outcry around the internet on June 6th, 2009 when Google decided to design their homepage after the 25th anniversary of the game Tetris instead of D-Day, the storming of the beaches at Normandy. No wonder why children do not appreciate history, as the message is constantly sent out that things that are popular, famous, or cool is what is important to daily life. According to the article, history is “a foreign country, not a foreign planet.” With the right amount of planning and learning, it is possible to reach an understanding of the importance of history in our everyday lives. We need to open our minds and explore. If we simply know what we are trying to find as we look back, we take the easy way out. But being lazy, we miss the opportunity to go on an adventure of the past, straying from convenience and entering the strange, a whole new world of opportunity for learning and advancement awaits us. All we have to do is stray from the path and get lost in the woods. Are you brave enough to let go of the familiar and challenge yourself to an adventure?
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