People who live in the past have committed themselves to a life of depression and misery. Either in your own life or in the lives of the billions who have lived and suffered as all must, dwelling on that which cannot be changed is not The Way. One of the many purposes of education is in creating perspective. Developing the capacity to judge the actions of those in the past requires expansive context as understanding the multitude of influences that created the social fabric of life as it was in any particular period is a daunting task for even the most committed of historical scholars. It is not to be denied that our American history is replete with horrible events, but one must balance this reality with the good, as well [and there is an amazing amount of good]. Otherwise, you will never extricate yourself from the purgatory created by your own mind. Let's take two examples... Although the United States is being dragged through the mud for its past participation in the human slave trade [which was common practice throughout the world at the time], let's see if we can find a little balance. On the economic front in the 19th century, the U.S. demonstrated that a combination of free markets and real money [paper money backed by gold] works incredibly well. On January 1, 1900, prices were cheaper in the United States then they were on January 1, 1800!! This means that the entire population of the country benefited from the incredible economic prosperity witnessed in this country throughout the 19th century. There are many people who have not forgotten this! Another historical tidbit which may add balance is the fact that until the later part of the 19th century, life was incredibly difficult for everybody. Child mortality was very high, as disease, poor nutrition, and sub-standard living conditions shortened average lifespans decades from what we enjoy today. With the explosion of technology and innovation over the past century, people in the late 19th century would have thought they had died and gone to heaven if they had even lived a day in 2023. We now have a couple of generations of people who tremendously lack perspective as they have been taught by people who understand life as oppression only, teachers whose own educations seriously lacked the balance necessary to recognize that even though life was not so great for most people [and much worse for some], the advances and advantages we all enjoy today are truly remarkable, and they are available to everybody willing to do what is necessary to avail themselves [and their children] of such. Instead of only considering the past, concentrate on what can be done moving forward to empower all people. The best any society can do is encourage individuals to maximize their strengths by availing themselves of the plethora of opportunities to both empower themselves and their communities through virtuous conduct and hard work. We all know what the problems are...now it's time to let the past be and get to work creating even better opportunities for all people moving forward.
I suppose talking to this group about perspective, context, and balance isn't going to attract a great deal of attention. One of these days [probably sometime in the mid 30's], people will en masse be ready to move forward once again. In the meantime, there are already incredible opportunities for those who can figure out how to move on now by participating in the reconstruction of our society. Throughout history there have been people who refused to cave into the negativity and pushed forward. If you are young, don't waste your time fighting battles already lost. Avoid those who make their living dividing people and sowing hatred. There is no reason to follow the herd off the cliff. The future belongs to those who can see beyond the animosity and blame, using their time and energy in creating the foundations for the next era of prosperity. Be one of the winners by helping everybody out!
