Why do we have to learn HISTORY?

Question

Why do we have to learn history at school if we aren't ever gonna go back and do anything about it? i always get the same answer "so we don't repeat it" basically what is the point of learning history at school?

Answer 1

i think that question was asked in the past.

Answer 2

I actually find history quite interesting, but that's just me. I am very captivated by learning how ancient societies formed and thrived, or deteriorated. The innovations, art, music, culture, etc., of a society can tell us a lot about our own. Everyone likes different things. I actually didn't develop an interest in history until my 20's. Before that, for example when I was in high school, I thought pretty much the same thing you do. I think a lot has to do with how the material is presented.

Answer 3

You were given part of the answer already...

Mankind has made many mistakes. If you don't study history, then you don't know what mistakes have been made in the past, so you cannot improve the future by not repeating those mistakes.

Also, learning history tells you a lot about the personalities, habits and mores of various peoples, various countries, various races. The more you know about other people, races and countries, the more intelligent you are... the more interesting you are to talk to... If you don't want to bother learning about history, and other people, countries and races, then you won't be an educated, interesting person that everyone would want to know.

If you don't know history, you lack much of the information needed to base your opinions on.

There are lots of other reasons, but I doubt you'll accept them because all you want to do is rebel against studying history. I don't think you really want to be given a reason to study it.

Answer 4

I think it is important that history be recorded. But we may put a little too much emphasis on the requirements of history knowledge in order to graduate from high school or a university. On the other hand wouldn`t you hate to be nearing the end of your life and not have any knowledge of the past other than what your grand father and father passed on to you verbally during the life span that you shared with them before they died especially if they did not care much for history. If you do not learn history at school where pray tell me are you going to learn it. You can not learn history by on the job training because you don`t live long enough. Besides all that it is kind of nice to have enough basic knowledge of history to enable us to distinguish between a fairy tale and something that really happened and also to be able to follow a conversation on history even if we can not contribute to it.

Answer 5

Learning history serves multiple purposes. The thing that most people get wrapped up in about history is the dates and names that make up the larger picture. However, the art of historical learning is not in the names and dates, but rather the bigger picture.
Take your ipod for example, it did not just appear out of nowhere. It was not an independent, spontaneous invention. Its development lies in the history of computers and technology.
The same applies to all human activity. You do not wear jeans because they are a modern invention, you wear them because during the gold rush a German immigrant needed pants that could withstand the rugged mining environment and using what he had on hand, denim and brass clasps, he fashioned himself a new, durable pair of pants. His friends, seeing what he had created, order some pants from him and Levi's is born.
Learning history also provides a great deal of useful skills, like being able to digest and respond to large amounts of documentation, the ability to think critically, the necessary writing skills for the modern work place, et cetera. You should be looking at why you don't like to learn history and not asking why it is necessary. It is necessary for reasons far beyond the obvious. (this is not my writings, but check this link so this guy can have credit for what he asked)

Answer 6

Right . . . because those who do not learn from the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it.
Unfortunately, even those who learn history tend to not learn from it . . . and repeat it.
For example, after Hitler the world said "Never again." Yet today the Israelis are doing the same things to the Palestinians that the Germans did to them and the world is doing nothing about it. Which is why we have terrorism, the Iraq "war," torture, etc., etc., etc.

Answer 7

So that we can have an intelligent conversation when the time comes for people to ask you " Where did WWII take place?" History is an integral part of who you are. It affects everyone . Each and every one of us has a history behind us, or has been a part so history. We each have made a mark on this world as part of history. We just don't know it yet.

Answer 8

History repeats itself < NO LMAO
I think we learn history so we have more knowledge of what happened in the past and how we can improve. But not because history repeats itself ? (how many times has history repeated it self as far As i know it NONE)

Answer 9

Since the question has been asked and answered dozens of times, and you still don't understand the reasons why, you have to mature a bit more and than all will become clearer to you.

For the person who made a comment about schools thinking we give a .....I wish you well in this world, you are really going to need it with attitude like that.

With education comes a better sense of self and self-respect, throwing around barely disguised bad language only proves how uneducated a person really is. Sad really.

Answer 10

Your personal memories are what help you live your daily life, yes? You don't stick your hand on the stove because you remember that it's hot. In the grander scheme of things, we don't practice slavery because we've learned from history that it's a wretched and cruel practice.

If you're looking for something other than the traditional answer, think of it this way: if you do something terrific with your life, don't you want people to remember you in the future?

Answer 11

You learn history because learning about and knowing about the past helps to better the future.