Last week in class we gathered together in a circle and discussed many differently viewed topics. Many interesting arguments came about throughout the discussion which got me to really think… What is truth? What is a fact? What is history? What defines history? And most important, what is success?
“Who controls the past, controls the future; who controls the present, controls the past.” The past is always a rebuke to the present. If the past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the past is the safest and the surest emancipation. I believe the past is our manual to the present and future.
We cannot escape history and neither can we escape a desire to understand it. The deepest, the only theme of human history, compared to which all others are of subordinate importance, is the conflict of skepticism with faith. Ambrose Bierce once stated, “God alone knows the future, but only a historian can alter the past.” To know the truth of history is to realize its ultimate myth and its inevitable ambiguity. The important thing is to never stop questioning and exploring the ways of life. Thomas Mann stated that “History is that which has happened and that which goes on happening in time. But also it is the stratified record upon which we set our feet, the ground beneath us; and the deeper the roots of our being go down into the layers that lie below and beyond the ... confines of our ego, yet at the same time feed and condition it, ... the heavier is our life with thought and the weightier is the soul of our flesh.”
What is a fact? What is truth? What is history? What is success? I believe each being has the opportunity and choice to differentiate in their beliefs and opinions. Freedom is a beautiful thing. I believe a successful society is made up of many opinions. I believe our identities and past experiences influence how we deal with situations. I believe we (as in our society, families, schools, government, and friends) will find success if we learn to love and if we yearn to learn from the past in order to improve our present and the future. I believe that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control defines happiness and true success. Lastly, I believe we should learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. Live as if we were to die tomorrow. Learn as if we were to live forever.
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Hey nice post Jamie, the thing I was most impressed with was your view that it isn't the past history of others that we need to learn from, but the past of the self, in order to learn and move forward with more knowlege to live by. My favorite sentence from you essay has to include " I believe we should learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow," I couldn't of said it any better.
ReplyDeleteI mean how often do you take a bit of information from you History class and use it in every day life? But, everyday, every person on the planet takes into account past experiences and lessons learned from them.
If there is one thing that I could tell everyone to take away from you post is that in fact although history is told about others, by others it is ultimately the self that writes history.
Plus, AP Daniel Poole would've been way easier than AP US.
AP Daniel Poole sounds dandy, thanks Daniel! :)
ReplyDeleteHey :) Nice job Jamie!! I like how you said, "Freedom is a beautiful thing." Yes it is a beautiful thing that is how we are our own person. That is how we become ourselves and find out who we really are.
ReplyDeleteAnd also when you put in that quote by Ambrose Bierce it had said, “God alone knows the future, but only a historian can alter the past.” I thought it went well with your essay. It is true God created this world we live on and HE is most likely the only one that knows what will happen in the future. And for the historian part they are the last ones standing and they are the only ones that know what really happen. They are the only ones that know the truth and can be remembered as of what they did.
Jamie..I really liked your perspective on the wht is truth? and how do we know that what we are learning is really true. I also liked your point on how each and everyone of us have different views on every subject. Why cannot we just respect eachother's opinions and not try to change them and make them believe in what we think is right. I enjoyed the whole topic about looking at the past and learning from the past so we do not make those mistakes again in the future. The past does help us making decisions about the future and how it is going to affect us. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog. I agree with a lot of your views on this whole issue. Good Job!
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