Is learning about the past useful?

                          Is learning about the past useful?

It is often argued that spending much time on studying history is unreasonable,
since the information people obtain lacks the practical implementation.
However, after careful thought, I have come to disagree with it. I believe that
history provides valuable sources for understanding different people and
societies, predicting future trends and building a person's identity. History
generates past experiences and formulates the steps of development. It provides
us with numerous examples of "cause-effect" events, which help to understand
different social mechanisms.


Everything that is happening today stems from the past and will have direct
effect on the future. Being aware of our history helps to avoid old mistakes and
make right decisions. The majority of all the political conflicts have a long
history, for instance the Middle East or Russia-Chechnya tensions. A closer
study of their deeper reasons and the measures taken beforehand can prove to
be invaluable in finding the right solution today. It can save thousands of lives.
At the same time, studying history of our own country or region builds up our
identity, gives us a feeling of belonging to a certain group of people. Therefore,
if we face a problem of communicating with a person of other culture, the basic
knowledge of his history can prove absolutely necessary for a successful and
productive interaction.

                       To sum up, I strongly believe that it is highly beneficial for modern people to
posses a good knowledge of the history, because it assures a profound
understanding of social mechanisms, helps to avoid many mistakes and
promotes a better communication between different nations.

                                                        
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