why does mankind seem to repeat the same mistakes through out history?

Answer 1

Those unable to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Answer 2

Most people think of history as a dead subject, meaning that what happened in the past is just that, the past. I don't think that many people understand that decisions made in the past no matter how significant, were made by people like you and me. Even though these people lived hundreds or thousands of years before us, they still are humans and used the same reasoning and have the same imperfections as us. I also think that some people think that we can beat history. Obviously Hitler must have known that Napoleon failed when he invaded Russia. Hitler must have thought, however, that with a larger, advanced, and more mobile force than Napoleon's that he would succeed. Take the present situation in Iraq, it does not matter where you stand on this issue. First, there was the Vietnam War, which Americans and especially the military collectively tried erasing from their memory. The next war in which the United States placed a major ground force was the Persian Gulf War. During this war all that we heard about was how we had exorcised that ghosts of the Vietnam War. So we thought that we beat history, but now we see the comparisons to the Vietnam War again. I think that what happens is that powerful countries think that their mere power can bury the same mistakes that powerful countries have been making for thousands of years. More powerful groups and countries seem to ignore history. Minor groups like the VietCong, and the insurgents in Iraq are the ones who are learning from history. Using the same tactics that we used 230 years ago. The less we focus on history in the classroom in order to focus on "core" subjects (english,math), the further out of touch we become with history and the mistakes of the past.

Answer 3

I believe it's because Mankind is a Group, not an individual. An individual can learn and profit from errors. But humanity as a mass, with no one in control, is like "mob rule", which is no rule at all.

And what mistakes do you mean, anyway? Mistakes are made by Individuals, some with lots more power and influence than others. How can an amorphous group called "mankind" even be guilty of making a mistake?

There is no "Group Mind" of the Human Species.

Answer 4

When writing my major analysis paper on The Sun Also Rises for English class, I came upon a reference to this statement by Arthur Schopenhauer:

"History shows on every side only the same thing under different forms. . . . The chapters of the history of nations are at bottom different only through the names and dates; the essential content is always the same. . . . If we have read Herodatus, we have already studied enough history from a philosophical point of view."

Answer 5

Because each individual struggles with the same old things. Even in the individual level, we have not really advanced. We may be fighting at a different level but we are still fighting each other for resources in this planet. Crude as it may sound, that's the real dynamic in this earth.

We can't bring everyone to perfection and we can't avoid the same mistakes as a whole community.

Answer 6

Because mankind hasn't learned from past. That is why we learn about history. So we can learn from it and not make the same mistakes.

Answer 7

Well, I won't throw a quote at ya - 2's enough lol!...but I think it has to do with arrogance. The mentality that- "Ya, maybe it didn't work last time, but WE won't make those same mistakes, and it'll work this time" I disagree with a lot of Freud's theories, however some of the basics are true and we are mostly ego driven. That's just what I think.

Answer 8

Because we are all doomed to do the same dumb things in our lives that our parents did, and their parents and their parents parents did the same thing, seems like a generation would come along and break the chain, but no one will because we are doomed to do the same things in our lives that our parents did, and their parents and their parents parents did the same thing,
seems like a generation would come along and break the chain, but no one will because we are doomed to do the same things in our lives that our parents, and their parents.......

Do you get the picture nothing in the world will ever be new because everthing has been done before.....thanks for the 2 points

Answer 9

I'd ave to agree wth Douglas' answer..tht and pride.. u know wht they say abt pride..

Answer 10

new genration doe ny know w happened in past