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Post by Jan Hyrman on Nov 24, 2004 7:43:55 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I take it that a majority of you are interested in history as your personal hobby, or that you take an active interest in a period of history or a subject that is closely related to history.
My question is clear: What was it that made you take your first history book and read it? Was it your family history? Was it playing soldiers when you were a kid?
When I was at the elementary school, I became fascinated with WWII aircraft and this interest lasted for years. The subject is quite a huge one, as the development of aircraft was accelerated incredibly. Later, my interest transformed to the Free Czechoslovak Army and it really seems I found the subject I was looking for. It is a neglected Cinderella among historical subjects even here and lots of sources still remain unexplored.
But even my fascination with history has a reason. The main one, I think, is the fact that the present is a result of the past. And, by studying history, we can not only avoid mistakes which had been done by others before, but also understand many things which we encounter every day.
What are your reasons?
Kind regards,
Jan
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Post by Ben Burgess on Nov 25, 2004 20:18:37 GMT -5
Jan,
I remember during my first year at university a variation of this question actually came up on my introductory exam.
Obviously many people study history for many different reasons. I myself believe, as I assume you do, that by studying the past we can better understand the present. In many ways studying history equips us with other skills, such as the ability to analyze things reasonably objectively, or the ability to learn from past experience.
I also greatly believe a persons reasons for studying history are influenced by the school under which you study. No doubt countless people will disagree, but to a great extent I believe the work of many recent 'post-revisionists' deliberately set out to twist history to support their own arguments and agendas. In this respect, therefore, many people take a keen interest in certain aspects of history merely to alter or edit it and attempt to prove a point.
And then of course there are the enthusiasts who love history for histories sake. Whatever your persuasion I believe history appeals to different people for different reasons. In my own case I believe to a large extent that it is merely the fact that I have yet to encounter another subject so broad in scope with the power to both amaze and shock me so consistently.
Ben
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Post by Richard Lowry on Nov 26, 2004 20:52:17 GMT -5
I remember hating history classes in high school. We were forced to memorize names and dates as we plodded through the history of civilization. It was the most boring subject in school - until we got to the wars.
I learned early that the course of human civilazation took dramatic turns during, and immediately following, major wars. Wars drove scientific innovation. Wars spawned new forms of government. Wars made history interesting.
It wasn't the violence that interested me, it was the fact that military conflict always led to dramitic changes in our world. This interest soon led me to study the evolution of warfare.
From conflict to conflict, the nature of warfare changed as well. I came to be facinated with military science. I am still amazed by the state on military technology.
Richard Lowry
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Post by historyfreak on Mar 22, 2005 22:00:20 GMT -5
hey, just bored and looking for any excuse to distract myself from work. For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed (and I mean ridiculously obsessed) with some parts of history. I think it all really began to kick off when I was 11, I can't really explain it. I just learn something and then can't rest until I have totally satisfied myself with it. It's amazing, because the more I learn the less I think I know, there are simply too many things in history for me to ever get bored of it and the older I get and the better my work becomes the more I feel a responsability towards it. When I research I become so caught up in it that I absolutely have to do justice to it, I never beleive something unless I follow in the persons footsteps and are satisfied with their methods and I would never write something unless my heart was 100% in it. There is nothing better than sitting in a room of people who all have the same passion as you do, you can open your mouth and say what's on your mind and at the end of it all, no ones looking at you like you're crazy!lol! Most people think I am, but they still love me anyway!
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Post by Jan Hyrman on Mar 23, 2005 2:03:06 GMT -5
Yes, you're right. The more you know, the more you will find out about what you should know. History is full of all the different - and often difficult - relationships.
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Post by Office 2010 on May 12, 2011 20:40:33 GMT -5
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