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It is often said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.1
On the other hand, Aldous Huxley famously quipped:
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”2
Furthermore, very few students will find themselves in positions of power from which they can steer humanity away from repeating the mistakes of the past. So this is not the reason we make students study history.
What about citizenship? Doesn’t understanding how we got here make us better citizens?
It does. Or, at least, it can. Demagogues and political charlatans love to tell oversimplifications and outright lies about history, so knowing the truth helps immunize us against them. And knowing that the right to vote is relatively new and hard-earned ought to encourage us to exercise that right.
So that’s certainly a reason we study history, but it’s not really a secret. And it’s also closely tied to what we’re really talking about today.
Perspective
What matters in the study of history is not the endless procession of names and dates; it’s the story. And stories are driven by characters – people with different perspectives and different goals. So our job as students of history is to understand the story and the people in it because, in doing so, we become better at understanding one another.
The primary purpose of studying history is to practice shifting perspective.
When you consider a historical event or time period, you should look at it through the eyes of a variety of people (or groups of people). Consider the varying perspectives of the ruling class and those without political power, landowners and workers, men and women, various religious groups, and so on.3 Understanding their different perspectives and why they hold them not only improves our understanding of the past, it also improves our understanding of humanity in the present, on scales large and small.
Progress for Whom?
Consider, for instance, Thomas Jefferson’s famous words in The Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”4
From the perspective of European men, this was a bold step toward constitutional democracy and away from the tyranny of absolute monarchy. It enshrined the Enlightenment ideal of natural rights into the founding document of a new nation, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that granted those rights to an ever-growing number of people.
However, from the perspective of other groups of people, Jefferson’s words take on a different meaning. In saying that “all men are created equal,” women would rightly feel left out. Indeed, they would not be granted equal rights for over a century, and only after decades of fighting for them. Jefferson was a slave-owner, so his claim that every man deserves freedom seems deeply hypocritical from the perspective of black Americans. And in making The Louisianna Purchase, Jefferson ensured that native Americans would continue to lose their land – and often their lives – to American settlers.
The point here is not to argue about whether Jefferson was a good man or a bad man, or even to argue about what the words of the Declaration mean. The point here is to practice shifting perspectives. Each of the perspectives described above is valid. There’s value to be found in understanding each of them. And it’s that mindset we need to bring into our personal lives.
Perspective-Shifting in Our Daily Lives
Failing to consider the perspectives of other people is the most common source of arguments, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. We can have far more productive and pleasant interactions with others if we practice shifting perspective more often.
This applies to relationships like:
- Worker-to-boss
- Coworker-to-coworker
- Parent-to-child
- Student-to-teacher
- Parent-to-teacher
- Friend-to-friend
- Partner-to-partner
The practice of perspective-shifting could also improve our ability to have civil political debates, which is something we’re sorely in need of. That’s one of the reasons I read Tangle – a newsletter that gives multiple perspectives from each side of the aisle on every topic they cover. The vast majority of people who vote differently from you are not evil, stupid, or crazy. They just have a different perspective. And if you want to persuade them to vote like you vote, you’ll have to begin by understanding their perspective.
The practice of perspective-shifting can also facilitate greater empathy for people who are different from you. You don’t even have to understand their perspective – you don’t have to get it – you just have to understand that they have a valid perspective that’s different from your own.
Perspective-Shifting About Ourselves
You can even shift perspectives about your own life within your own mind.
If you’re ever feeling morally superior when someone else screws up, the fastest way to get off of your high horse is to ask yourself, “How am I that?” Odds are, you’ve done something similarly foolish or dishonorable.
When you experience a major setback, you can shift your perspective by finding (or creating) the hidden benefits that big problems often bring. Obstacles can be opportunities if you’re able to look at them from the right angle.5
And if you’re faced with a difficult decision, don’t just consider what’s most likely to be the right decision; be sure to think about which version of being wrong you can live with. That way, if you make the wrong decision, it won’t be catastrophic.
This Makes You a Better Person
There are many good reasons to learn about the past, but I think this is the most valuable.
By improving your ability to shift perspectives, studying history can make you a kinder, wiser, and more effective person.
1This is not the exact quote.
2“Aldous Huxley.” The Guardian.
3 John Green does an excellent job of encouraging us to do this in his Crash Course history series. (I’m currently enjoying Crash Course European History.)
4https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
5Holiday, Ryan. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. Portfolio/Penguin, 2014.
Chris Loper has been working as a tutor and academic coach since 2014, racking up over 13,000 hours of experience supporting students.
Along with Greg Smith, Chris is the co-creator of Parenting for Academic Success, a series of classes that create empowered parents, confident students, and harmonious families.
Chris writes the popular self-improvement blog Becoming Better, where he also offers habit coaching, helping busy adults with habit formation and productivity.
Chris’s most recent endeavor combines his academic and habit-formation expertise to help students thrive in college. Visit SmartCollegeHabits.com to learn more.
In 2021, he published a humorous memoir titled Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations, a book that blends crazy stories with practical life lessons.
He lives in Issaquah, WA, where he is the owner of South Cove Tutoring.
