How do modern people view the modern world? Many would say it’s good. Many would say it’s bad. Still, most would agree on the aesthetic of the present.
Industry, globalization and technology reach great heights, while their abuse follows a similar trend. Great nations vie for great power in an ever shrinking world, and there’s us within it.
We know of our present, yet what of our past? The aesthetic remains, though in a different form. A lack of industry. A lack of globalization. A lack of technology. Small nations fought for scraps in a vast world. Will our descendants see us in a similar light? Will they call our struggles insignificant? Are they right?
They might view us in this way, but they wouldn’t be right to do so. It would dehumanize us by looking at the superficial aspects of our struggles. The pain their present was built on would become a price, not a lesson, and that is dangerous. If allowed to continue, our descendents might not recognize our struggles as much to remark upon.
How many people today think of the past as a game between empires? How many study the individuals, their culture and their lives? Some do, but much of the public’s discussion seems to be about the broad strokes–the type of things taught in school.
This is good. The origin of our institutions and their subsequent deeds needs to be considered. However, empathizing with our ancestors is just as important as understanding their actions. In fact, one might say understanding history is impossible without empathy, since history is about the actions of people–a collective system of people, but still, individuals who are fundamentally like us.
Our view of the past influences the present. The future begins with the present. Without a better understanding of what came before, we will cause problems for those who will come after. If this is the case, then maybe being forgotten would be a mercy. Maybe we will be reviled. Maybe we will be seen as the beginning of the end, or maybe we will be better. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Our actions today are what hold significance, so let us not forget those of the past. Let us learn from the great works of history and the small lives lived, and let them inspire us. If we do this, then maybe things will turn out for the best.
