Many people think of history as what-really-happened-in-the-past, but professional historians know that the truth about the past is actually much more complex. It is a messy intersection of many different truths and biases, not to mention the self-righteousness, vanity and obfuscation that comes with any human endeavor. No one can know the past with complete accuracy – and that is why scholars try to use as many sources as possible (from official government documents to Hollywood films to ancient texts) and scrutinize those sources carefully in order to overcome any inherent biases.
Historians also try to remember that the history they are studying is a reconstruction of events as they are remembered by those who experienced them. That is why a historian’s work must be constantly evaluated and corrected as new evidence emerges. In addition, historians are aware that all historical records are subject to the same problems that any other kind of records face – including the inadvertent or deliberate distortions caused by memory, language and dominant ideas.
These complexities are why it is sometimes easy to misread or misinterpret history. People are often offended or angered by what they read in the history books, but they tend to forget that this is the way historians have always done things.
Even though this is the case, there are many ways for anyone to gain some sense of what really happened in the past and to learn to distinguish between a well-researched history and the myths and propaganda that can cloud it. One popular strategy is to read a broad history book, such as Yuval Harari’s Sapiens or Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel.
Another method is to focus on a particular topic. This approach can be very useful if you are interested in specific periods of history, such as the History of Civilization or the History of Technology. A third method is to study a single biography, which can be very useful if you want to learn about the lives of certain individuals from the past.
Of course, all of these strategies are flawed in some way. But if you are able to keep these pitfalls in mind, you may find that history is actually quite useful as an intellectual exercise. It can help you to understand the patterns of behavior in the world around you and can inspire empathy for others who have walked this earth before you. Then, when you are armed with this knowledge, you can use it to shape your own future. But it is important to remember that history should never be used as a weapon in culture wars. Using it for that purpose is a misuse and an abuse of the discipline that can diminish its utility in the long run. Moreover, it can also encourage the kind of mindless memorization that is an unfortunate side effect of any discipline. So, don’t fall into this trap! Use the knowledge that history provides to make the world a better place.