LIFE LESSONS | HISTORY | ENDING VIOLENCE
3 Reasons History Classes Need a Revolution: How Schools Are Failing Students
Start teaching something that will help students improve their life
They say that learning history is important so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past, such as violence, hatred, racism, genocide, exploiting others, and so on. Well, it’s supposed to do that but the historical actions of human beings up until this very day don’t seem to be in sync with the teachings.
Sitting through a history class was nothing short of yawning, becoming a zombie, and my brain on strike mode. I barely passed history tests. I remember nothing but wars. This king occupied that land in XXXX year A.D. These many soldiers got killed in the battle. The bloodshed continued for this long.
How was it helpful? To remember which ruler occupied which piece of land and which battles were fought in which years. Whom was this information serving? How was it going to help me in my present or future?
I found no use. Besides, I only remember a couple of names of people who fought for the freedom of their country.
“You don’t even have the strength of character to be good until you understand exactly what kind of monster you can be”. — Jordan B. Peterson
In the summer of 2008, that monster reflected in the terror I saw in my toddler’s eyes. I saw my capacity to be cruel. History was about to repeat itself.
I was set about destroying my own child’s life. Exactly how a narcissistic mother ruined mine. Just like how to hurt people hurt people because they don’t know how to heal themselves, how to rise above what happened to them. Because they don’t know how to make peace within themselves.
I had to tell myself — this trauma ends with me. I end this war inside me. Period.
Reason 1: What has man ever learned from history?
History repeats itself, meaning things that have happened in the past will or tend to happen again in one way or another. Why?
A lesson is repeated in life until man learns — gets the point. From what I see, mankind has learned nothing. Here’s why.
- Educated people who gain authority abuse their power by exploiting people and resources for their own interests.
- Nations are at war with each other. In the 21st century. To say that we have advanced would be shameful because we haven’t. We have learned nothing from our past and are only repeating history.
Reason 2: What if history lessons are taught alongside mindfulness meditation or martial art?
If children are learning history, don’t you think it is important to teach them why they are learning history? And once they learn about their potential of being a monster, can’t they also be educated on how they could tame this monster inside them?
Business leaders such as Jeff Weiner, Bill Ford and Russell Simmons have used meditation to improve productivity, creativity, and business acumen. If meditation is that amazing, schools need to start teaching it already, don’t you think? Meditation might just be one of the ways to cultivate discipline. It’s the discipline that matters.
A lot of people grow up in dysfunctional families where they may have suffered great psychological damage from physical, mental, or sexual abuse, and emotional manipulation, the repercussions of which they live with through attracting more negative experiences in life.
I’m not saying life can be all butterflies and roses. I know that pain and suffering are a part of life. However, people’s life’s can be different in that, if they were taught how to be disciplined through practices such as meditation:
- They’d develop the capacity to understand what happened, recognize the gravity of damage people can cause, and the possibility that they could also cause that much damage.
- They’d have a greater awareness of their thought, emotions, and behavior. They’d take more personal responsibility for how they’d use power.
Has learning about war taught them anything about personal responsibility?
If yes, then great. If not, which I believe is more likely the case, then why are they being taught about war if they’re not equipped with tools that could help them cultivate courage and peace?
Reason 3: If the world torn by war that we see today is a result of teaching history and everything else about the world, can education about the self through mindfulness and discipline be made as important?
Today’s fresh graduate is well-educated about the world but is lost and clueless about himself or herself or his or her purpose in life. Why? Because he or she wasn’t taught a thing about personal responsibility.
If learning about the war in history doesn’t teach us how to make peace within ourselves, schools need to stop teaching it.
The fact that we come out of school uneducated for life is telling of the turmoil mankind is in. Education about the world without education of the self is an incomplete education.
This is why mankind has become the most dangerous animal on earth who has no control over him or herself. Being dangerous without discipline is not virtuous.
“ You make men strong by making sure that they are disciplined. Unless you can think the way that an evil person thinks, then you’re defenseless against them. A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has that under voluntary control. If you’re around someone that is dangerous and disciplined, then everyone watches their step.” — Jordan B. Peterson
In conclusion
It is important to expose young learners to their capacity for damage as well as their capacity to do good in the world. They should be taught how to be dangerous, but balance that out with also being disciplined. This is what is going to make the world a safe place to live in.
I invite you to check out this timely article on the importance of purpose and perseverance by Lepetitnzima.
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