Why are you interested in history?

[peterh]

Well, I'm a big busy these days so big posts have to wait a bit. Though, seeing we have many history interested members I'm curious as to why you find it fascinating.

I'm a history buff, with a big interest in 20th century history, as many of you no doubt know and even though it always held my interest it took me quite some time to articulate just why it fascinated me so much.

Many people find history boring or perhaps static but to me nothing could be further from the truth. History is dynamic and constantly evolves. It's the very foundation of understanding many many aspects of society today and frankly without knowing one's history it's hard not to repeat the mistakes and sins of the past.

History tells us of our past and how we came to be what we are and could also give an indication of where we're going. It's just fascinating stuff - well some of it. I admit to finding certain areas of history not to my interest at all but that does not diminish the value of it. ..

How about you people?

[Gray Lensman]

Good question, Peter.

I personally find history interesting from a societal and developmental viewpoint. History is shaped and driven by people, and so history teaches us much about human nature. Who we are (for good or ill), what makes us so, and perhaps the lessons we can learn to develop and grow as a people. History shows us how much we have grown, but also shows how much we can grow, if that makes sense. History for me is the story of civilization... and like all good stories, it takes up many facets.

Also, as a writer, I like to learn and study history because it gives me a lot of good tools to work with. Historical patterns remain timeless, and work regardless of the context that they're placed in. Also, I admit that history offers a lot of interesting ideas to me as a writer.

I tend more to take a general view of history, though, and my areas of interest leans more to earlier historical periods. (I find the early American colonial period compelling, for instance.) I find all the topics interesting to some extent, that said, and there's something to be learned from any time period if you look at it closely enough.

[Galadriel]

I can't describe what "history" means to me. If you split up that word and with a little imagination, you get "his" "story". Wich means, the story of someone told by someone, sometimes with a little imagination too. I like stories, but I also like the truth behind those stories.

My favorite part of history is ancient history, but that ain't entirely true though. I love from every age a bit of everything. From the Greeks to the Egyptians, from the Roman empire to the Vikings, the American civil war and the 100 year war between France and Engeland. Some people I like to learn more about, like Joan of Arc, Gandi, Mandela, Toutanchamon, Julius Ceasar etc...

My interest go wide, and I hope I'm able to post a lot of what I know and what I can learn you all.

Soon I shall start with some new topics, but at the moment my mind needs to keep busy with other things.

[ss]

The old saying -

"Those whom do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"



I love history, but think it is always interpreted in light of the people reading it, rather than the mind set of the people who lived it...puts a more interesting and accurate light on it if you can identify with the people at the time it is being played out...ie...

It is hard to empathize/understand how the British would wear Red Coats and stand and fire point blank at the colonial lines and vice/versa without feeling the culture and mind set of the people at that time...especially in light of our modern day concept of warfare..

[Elliot Kane]

History, to me, is a grand progression from the unknowable depths of the far past to the unguessable heights of the far future - and far more importantly, it is the prism through which the light of the present shines.

It is impossible to know what people are without an understanding of how they came to be.

[janggut]

History is nice when it's told like a story. not dry like a text book. that's how i learn to love it. but i am slowly forgetting ....... but no worries. History will repeat itself. ;D

[killerzzz]

janggut said:

History is nice when it's told like a story. not dry like a text book.

Amen to that.

I personally have a sort of 'passing interest' in history. I'll randomely pick out some event and look it up in some detail, every once in a while. I find it interesting for myself, but also, I do it so that I myself can go and tell others this history, in the form of an interesting story.

I'm a storyteller, thats what I do for fun, and like Kylia said, History IS a story. Somebody's story; lotsa people's stories! Stories are meant to be told, and to be heard. The story of the world, read from the big book of infinity, has magnificence ready to be revealed!

Aaaaaaand, Killerzzz got waaay too into that.

So, yeah, passing impulsive interests. ;D

Killerzzz

[Glance A'Lot]

I owe my interest in history to a good history teacher and the fact that between 8th and 10th grade I was living in France.

Said teacher was confronted with the need to teach us history on a wider perspective than is usually taught in Germany, because he had to expand on the host country history, which led to ties into English and Spanish history - as those were the powers of importance. So I learned the basics of history on a European level, which greatly benefitted - and was much more interesting! (Not the least because from a European perspective - a multi-national one - it is so much harder to be biased and focussed on one sided views!)

And - I'm of the conviction that history ended with Bismarck leaving office - anything after that was politics...