The Importance of History To Mankind

A lot can be said about history and what importance it stands in the life of man. It is safe to say that without history, mankind would be lost. The beginning, the past, the origin of life, is all documented thanks to history. History covers such a vast area of knowledge about the entire universe. It is a “Discussion of the past.”

But sometimes, some clearly do not appreciate the existence and purpose of history. Some may even ask, “What is history and why is it important anyway?”.  Why is it important in our everyday life? If you ask me, why am I doing this blog? Why touch on History? Today, many Travelers love to dabble on the history of countries they want to visit. I joined the airline industry not just to be in the country for reputation, but I want to be a part of the history. This blog will provide what I have researched and learned through the years of my flying career and might be able to make you discover something new about the world you live in. 

Why is History Important?

There are a lot of answers to this particular question, although not everything will be covered by this blog. Refer to the list below and see exactly why history is important. 

1. History Defines Our World

History, as we know, defines our world. Everything that people see around them has a history. Governments, travel, technology, transportation, the economy, infrastructures, and so much more each have their own history. Take a gander at an airplane, imagine that before it actually looked and functioned like that, it had to go through a lengthy process of mistakes. 

The Wright Brothers are the ones who invented the first-ever planes and the brothers were the pioneers of Aviation that progressed down history and people end up with the modern airplane today. Orville and Wilbur Wright were fascinated by a helicopter toy and its mechanics made out of cork, bamboo, and paper powered by a rubber band to twirl its blades brought home by their father after a long day preaching. From then on the Wright Brothers develop a lifelong love of aeronautics and flying.

Moreover, history is not just about the past of our ancestors, rather, history covers a broad spectrum in our lives. It talks about travel, art, beliefs, and just about anything! 

2.People get to Learn About Society

Knowing how societies formed and how they all functioned in the past is made known through the study of history. Wars have happened in the past and that impacted society, and this is what people see today. Nearly every country had already attained its freedom and this is because the societies that existed in the past went through various events and did things that made an impact on society. This makes people appreciate said freedom. 

History has also documented these events and such information is being taught in schools and television. This is to inform people that those historians in the past are the ones responsible for imparting knowledge, and by doing so, it has made society evolve. And this is how we stand today.

3. History Teaches Us Culture 

The historical events in regards to culture actually have a long-term impact on people. Ever wonder why a certain country has its own set of beliefs, traditions, and other cultural traits? History can answer that. These cultural traits have all originated from civilizations in the past and that has gradually changed as time passed. 

Moreover, learning about culture will help people distinguish and understand the cultural traits that each country has. In fact, learning new things can be truly beneficial to a person as this will broaden their knowledge and they will also know how to respect the beliefs of other cultures, follow their laws, and avoid offending them. This is why traveling educates us. It opens our minds to how other nations exist in very simple ways that make it so interesting to know if their lives are better than ours.

4. History Helps Us Correct Past Mistakes

Mistakes will always be around, and the mistakes that have been previously done can make society today correct said mistakes. Society has adapted and made decisions that are continuously impacting the lives of many. For example, history repeats itself in families. That within someone’s family lineages, things like betrayal, money issues, divorce, estrangement, abuse and to name a few, are the patterns passed down through generations. Yes, society is trying to correct this, but one has to break the pattern and learn from the past. My father used to say, “Learn from your mistakes, but focus on your future”.

The history of the past will make us decent citizens and better decision-makers. We develop a new level of appreciation and It teaches us to understand the meaning of change. 

5. History Answers Our Questions 

People are always curious and curiosity leads to formulating questions. That is where history steps in, it has the ability to entertain questions about mostly anything. The past is very complex and it would be difficult to know what events transpired in the past without the help of history. 

Example: WHO DISCOVERED AMERICA?

Let us just remember that the indigenous people arrived in the Americas about 23,000 years ago. Some historians say that Viking Leif Erikson arrives 400 years ago before Christopher Columbus arrived.

                        https://www.ancient.eu/Leif_Erikson/

To further expound on this, people today would not be able to discover the answers to their questions without historical documents that narrate the events that happened many years ago. There is never one answer to a question when it comes to history. This is because the sources vary per person and not all historians believe in the same thing. The best way to explain this would be Science V.S. the Bible. 

There is a lot of debate in regards to how the entire universe came into existence, scientists and several historians argue that the universe originated from the Big Bang while others believe that an Almighty Being created everything. 

6. History Improves Critical Thinking

There are those people who are intrigued about the history and they study it because it improves their critical thinking. This is especially true for historians since they are responsible for writing about historical phenomena. Through writing, their knowledge is broadened and their critical thinking is sharpened, and this would be deemed beneficial for various areas in life. 

7. History Sparks Inspiration 

By looking back at history, people have seen countless great historical icons. The stories of these inspiring people have affected numerous nations through their courageous and heroic acts.

      https://www.womensdaycelebration.com/most-inspiring-women-in-history.html

A lot of people today actually look up to such historical people and cannot help but be inspired, and that is enough to fuel them to strive for greatness. 

8. History Helps in the Development of a Society 

Economically speaking, there are many proofs of how historical events have contributed a long-term effect on the development of a society’s economy. By learning about how societies had functioned in the past allows present society to further grow and develop. 

In the past, economies were not really doing well compared to the present since several factors inhibit the growth of the economy many years ago. An example of that would be gender inequality, since women were not allowed to work before, it means that only half of the population were the ones doing all the work. But at present everything has changed. 

History is the study of the past. Events occurring before the invention of writing systems are considered prehistory. “History” is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. 

HISTORY REPEATS!