People who love history do so for a variety of reasons. Some find beauty in the study, others enjoy the intellectual challenge it offers. A few are driven by the need to understand how things work, while others seek a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Regardless of the motive, anyone who wants to learn about history must acquire certain skills.
An Ability to Understand Cause and Effect
A fundamental skill of studying history is the ability to determine how one event or action led to another. Historians are trained to be able to examine evidence and form conclusions, which they must then convey clearly in their writing. The process of learning to interpret public statements, private records, visual materials and numerical data builds an ability to understand how different kinds of information can be used to draw accurate pictures of the past.
An Ability to Make Sense of Time
Historians use their understanding of the human record to create timelines and chronologies. They also use the discipline to explain the evolution of concepts and ideas through examining the way in which past societies and cultures approached the challenges that came their way. By studying how ideas have evolved over time, historians can gain insights into the nature of change and what it might mean for future society.
An Ability to Think Strategically
As a subject of study, history provides valuable lessons for coping with today’s problems. For example, an understanding of how a society copes with the problem of foreign immigrants may help us deal with our own current concerns. The same might be true of a lesson about how a military power dealt with threats from its enemies.
An Ability to Work Through Moral Dilemmas
A deep study of history can help a person develop a more sophisticated moral sense. By studying the ways that people worked through tough ethical dilemmas in the past, a student can test his own sensibilities against examples of certifiable heroes and more ordinary folks who were willing to stand up for their beliefs.
An Ability to Reconsider Beliefs
Historians frequently revise their previous interpretations of past events and people. Some revisions reflect the changing perspectives of a new generation of scholars, while others are brought about by the discovery of fresh evidence or a shift in the understanding of how old evidence is interpreted. The process of revising beliefs about the past can be as important as learning the facts.
An Ability to Find Meaning
While most people can agree that the subject of history teaches valuable lessons, some may wonder what relevance it might have for them in their daily lives. As the heirs of the Enlightenment, most people in Western societies are familiar with the concept that “knowledge is power.” The idea that the more knowledge a person gains, the better equipped he is to navigate the complexities of life, has long been an underlying assumption of education. However, this notion has not always been embraced in practice.