Many individuals believe that humans gain nothing valuable from history while others assert that what happened in the past can bring precious sources of information. From my perspective, I totally agree with the latter view, this essay will discuss both sides before coming to the final conclusion.
On the one hand, learning from the past is pointless for several individuals to some extent. Firstly, history is rarely used in modern life. Due to the rapid development of science and technology, creating innovative machines or medical treatments can be more beneficial than researching historical events happening in the past. It is apparent that, in such cases, history brings no relevant values to the present or future and people only tend to focus on aspects that bring practical impacts. Secondly, several sources of information in the past can be unreliable. In other words, some historical events are interpreted differently and the criticism about them is also based on different perspectives. Therefore, there is no guarantee of the accuracy of the information obtained.
On the other hand, the essential role of history in teaching people valuable lessons is indisputable. To begin with, comprehending history can prevent humans from making similar mistakes that occurred in the past. It can be explained that state-of-the-art technologies in the modern era have enhanced and evolved from the failure of the past. Hence, historical events still provide valuable lessons for the development of humans. Furthermore, history can help individuals instill moral standards motivated by the prior generations. To illustrate, via learning about history, people especially the youth can have thorough insights into their culture and how their nations have evolved. A case in point is the Vietnamese Revolution which fostered a sense of pride and patriotism in people’s hearts. This is because the descendants may have an understanding of how their ancestors must sacrifice to maintain freedom through history.
In the final analysis, even though studying from the past is unpractical for several reasons, it also reveals avoidable mistakes and evokes precious qualities.