I enjoy learning about historical events. Do you think we learn from history?

Yes. I do feel that a cause/effect approach would be a more effective method to studying history. It is important to know the dates of the events, and to know who was involved, but in reality, just knowing these facts doesn't really TEACH us anything about the situations. The real "lessons" of history should be either how to prevent a bad situation from occurring again, or how to repeat a good situation. I do not feel that our textbooks in school offer a very good account of history at all. While the facts may be accurate to the best of our ability, they are certainly not as unbiased as our government would like us to believe that they are. I say this because the government will not allow the facts to be taught in school until it is approved. In the name of covering their butts, I am sure they make sure that some facts are changed or omitted, especially when studying more modern history. Like the song says..."when they own the information, they can bend it all they want"... I noticed your response to the other comment as well, and I thought it was interesting, so I thought I would address it a little as well. I DO think that we make the same mistakes because people don't know what happened in the past. This goes back to what I was saying. Too much emphasis is placed on the dates and who was involved. What we SHOULD be concentrating on is what happened and WHY it happened. What could have been done to prevent the bad stuff from happening to begin with? What might have happened if things had gone differently? The approach we take for studying history these days really do nothing to help our society. Teachers basically tell student who did what on what day in time. It is pretty much a close-minded lesson that poses no opportunity (or even a need) for further examination of the text. Students have no reason to think about why the events happened. I do not think schools do an adequate job of teaching history, nor do I think they do a very adequate job of teaching much of any other subject for that matter.

I loved history in grade school and high school...I hated it when I took an American History course in college. Why I hated it had to do with the teacher's bias for the most part. I felt I was graded poorly due to my disagreement with his interpretation of events in our country's past. I see many parallels in history. I think basic human nature hasn't changed and leaders still strive for the same things they did 1000 years ago...and the common folk still suffer the same basic perils and woes they did 1000 years ago. I think we DO NOT learn from the past...but think somehow we as modern man...are above those who came before us..in intellect and wisdom. I was upset to learn that some of the history I learned as gospel truth...was in fact did not include some very important facts. Lies by ommission. Do the winners really write the history books? For instance; as an adult I talked to some reservation elders (Sioux) and found out many things I'd learned about Custer were LIES.

Do you think a study of cause/effect in history is needed? More than just the dates and persons involved? And do you think that the textbooks used in schools present a truthful and unbiased account?

Actually, the more I study about the Arab history the more I fear their motives in this day and age. A real in depth study of their actions throughout history will show that they have ALWAYS been aggressors, trying to conquer other cultures and force them into Islam by the sword. That is one reason I feel we should study history. It helps to know how and what happened in the past when deciding how to judge things in the here and now.

Judging Future with Past,should say it's a nice way to kill the PRESENT.I was a big-fan of History in Junior-high but then the more i read i could only find descrepancies and inconsistencies.After all,History isn't science and most of the "history" in books are surmises that lack evidence.Paleontologists could also focus on proving these contentions amidst their seriuos persuasion in digging out Darwin.

The last line was a mishap.It should have been archealogists should work in the line of paleontologists(gosh-why such big names,should start a discussion topic on this)who have been quite succesful in disproving the big History book called The Bible.

Hi OConnell87...I agree with you. Do you think we are making the same mistakes BECAUSE people don't know what happened in the past and more importantly WHY it happened. Do you think schools do an adequate job of teaching history?

all i remember from history is that the battle of hastings was 1066 and i learnt about the slave trade my school was so bad in general i honestly could not tell you anything about world war 1 or 2 or any other wars, i don't think we actually covered it hence why i didnt take history for a GCSE and my school closed down a few years ago because of underachievement

There is always self study...don't let it keep you from growning and learning.

Sure there is a "right". The problem is that there are a lot of them. Attacks from both sides that are unprovoked or overreactions as well as historical hatreds that have a basis in fact. But yeah it's also culture, nationalism and so on and so on...

Each side has their own interpretation of what is going on? Each feel they are in the right. This is true and it is a factor. But do you believe that there is a "right" to be found? Is it really down to who is right and who is wrong....or is it just pride, nationalism. Or even more sinister....prejudice and hate?

Yes, sadly...you are probably correct. So...where do we go to find the facts?

lol...virulent, I can tell you are of all people, most honest. ;) I read historical epic books....and watch historical movies like Troy or 300. Gladiator was my favorite historical movie. I liked it because you got a sense of how the common people lived in ancient Rome. I 'knew' about gladiators before then...but this movie helped me UNDERSTAND what it was all about much more. You say history is fiction...and I agree that most is written by the winners. But don't you want to know WHY things happened?

sadly..... Time machine is no reality,so i don't think you can go anywhere to learn history.If Nazi's have won the war you wouldn't be reading stuffs that you are reading now.Sounds like an extreme case of pessimism uh?that's the truth.So,approaching history like a fiction,reading it for amusement and letting everyday experiences decide our learning curve would be more beneficial.Atleast,you can be sure of everyday experiences,except in times when you are high.

I love films that make you THINK. And Shindler's List was one heavy duty think fest for me. Have you watched Sophie's Choice....now that one will make you think hard! Especially if you are a parent. Check it out.

Sophie's Choice starred Meryl Streep...if you're interested in looking it up at the video store.

History is the story of how people lived and governed themselves and interacted with each other. Human nature being what it is, history repeats itself.

I agree.