WHAT IS HISTORY FOR? 10 REASONS TO STUDY IT - HISTORY - 2025

The serving history to study the past in order to be able to give explanation to the current situation, ie the present. With history we can understand why things are as they are in the present; traditions, culture, politics, economics, technology… Without it we cannot understand the present, but neither could we know where humanity is going.

For example, knowing the history of the colonization of Latin America or Africa can allow us to know how their traditions, culture, politics, language and even the limits of their borders emerged. Without history we would not be able to know why Spanish is the predominant language in Latin America or English the most widespread.

History is the narration of events that have occurred in humanity, including the rise and fall of great nations, as well as other relevant changes that have affected the political and social conditions of the human race.

However, people often wonder what history is studied for since it is lived in the present and planned for the future. In this sense, being in the now and anticipating what has not yet happened takes time; So why should we worry about what has already happened?

The answer is simple: because you cannot escape the past and because all of us are living stories. Normally, there is a tendency to think that history does not represent a useful study because the product of its study is not as tangible as that of other disciplines.

However, this science is indispensable because it not only studies the events that have already occurred, but also creates bridges that connect those events with the present. For example, each society speaks a language and practices traditions that it inherited from communities that lived in the past.

In the same way, technologies are used that were not created in this century, but are the result of a process initiated by humans thousands of years ago. Therefore, understanding the past is necessary to understand the present.

Likewise, this is the basic reason why this discipline is still being studied. However, below are other reasons that prove the importance and usefulness of the story.

What is history for? 10 reasons for its importance

1- History allows us to know the events that have occurred in the world

One of the simplest elements that prove the importance of history is that this is the only means through which you can get to know the events that have changed the world.

In this way, there is a first approach to the complexity of the functioning of societies.

2- History is a source of collective experiences

History provides experiences that allow us to understand how certain events shape societies, that is, history is a source of “collective experiences”. For example, a community that has never participated in a war can study the influence of war through historical data.

In this sense, it could be said that history is a kind of laboratory, with historical data being the results obtained.

3- History allows us to understand societies

History could be considered to be a storehouse of information about the behavior of societies.

Historical knowledge somehow facilitates the study of the motivations of peoples, since it provides valuable information that can be used by other disciplines in charge of the study of the human as a social being.

The data obtained through the study of history could not be obtained through any other science.

Some sociologists have tried to develop experiments that demonstrate patterns of behavior in individuals; however, these theories only work for individual objects. Thus, history provides information on mass performance.

4- History justifies the changes that have occurred over the years

Through the study of history, it is possible to understand how societies came to be what they are today.

The present we live in is the result of decisions that others made in the past, and these decisions, in turn, depended on events that preceded them.

For example, the First World War began with the assassination of Archduke Francisco Ferdinando of Austria; in turn, this murder was due to the Balkan War and the expansion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In this sense, only history allows us to trace the links that make up the chain that connects the present with the past and, in this way, understand the changes that have given rise to current societies.

5- The story provides a sense of identity

History provides and strengthens the identity of the peoples; This is one of the main reasons that modern nations promote the study of their own history.

The information provided by history shows how families, social groups, organizations and entire nations were formed and, in the same way, shows how the identity of these groupings has evolved over the years.

It should be noted that identity can operate at different levels: knowing the history of the nation generates a collective identity, while knowing the history of the family from which it comes generates a personal identity.

6- Knowing the history generates model citizens

It is generally said that the study of history provides national identity and therefore creates a bond of loyalty to the country of origin, giving rise to good citizens.

However, this would be to reduce the historical study to a source of nationalism; the story goes much further and provides information on patterns of behavior that can be beneficial to a society.

7- History can be a source of inspiration

Throughout history, there have been various figures who have had to face adversity and who, despite this, have performed impressive feats.

By this we mean not only the great men and women who are recognized as "heroes", but also "ordinary" people who showed courage and diligence.

For example, the "suffragettes" were a group of British women who fought for the right to vote during the 20th century.

This movement was started by Emmeline Pankhurst, a highly regarded woman who continues to inspire feminist movements today. The other suffragettes, despite not being as well known as Pankhurst, are also a source of inspiration, since they fought for a noble cause.

8- History allows knowing other cultures

History is not limited solely to the study of a single society, but is responsible for studying the various cultures that have existed over the years.

At the same time, it establishes relationships between cultures and the nations that practice them. All this allows us to understand with greater clarity the functioning of a society at the same time that it allows us to expand our cultural baggage.

9- History allows us to choose wisely

Plow with a yoke of horned cattle in ancient Egypt. Sennedjem Burial Chamber painting, c. 1200 BC

As already mentioned, history acts as a laboratory that provides evidence on the behavior of peoples in the framework of certain events. In this sense, current societies could use this knowledge to make the right decisions.

It should be noted that historical knowledge is not limited to decision-making, but also influences a person's ability to discern.

This means that the study of history promotes critical thinking, allows weighing different opinions and positions on the same historical event and reaching an objective conclusion.

10- history repeats itself

The best reason to study history is that it repeats itself. Therefore, it is important to learn from the mistakes that others have made in the past so as not to repeat them in the present; as expressed in the saying “he who does not know history is condemned to repeat it”.

In this sense, history functions as a source of collective experience. In the same way, the study of this science provides the knowledge framework necessary to understand, or at least approach an understanding of the world and different cultures.

Generally, this knowledge will allow us to broaden our horizons, while we learn to appreciate and respect other societies.

References

1. Stearns, Peter (1998). Why Study History? Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from historians.org.
2. Kettler Sara (2015). "Suffragette": The Real Women Who Inspired the Film. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from theguardian.com.
3. Thakur, Aren (2013). Top 10 reasons to study history. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from topyaps.com.
4. Khan, Muhammad. Why is history so important. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from quora.com.
5. Why is it important to study history? Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from reference.com.
6. 7 Reasons Why It is Important to Study History. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from allwomenstalk.com.
7. Adam, Clark. 7 Reasons You Need to Know About the Importance of History. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from historyguru.org.
8. Corfield, Penelope. All people are living histories - which is why History matters. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from history.ac.uk
9. Hirst, Kirst (2017) What Is History? - A Collection of Definitions. Retrieved on March 8, 2017, from archeology.about.com.