That Which is Truly Priceless

"Why should I care about history? That was then, this is now!"

When I hear such a statement being made, I cringe. People who say things like this also make statements like "Why in the world would I ever need to multiply by letters?" I think it is a sign of the times: the masses are so engrossed in their own lives and their own profits that they are stuck in them. There is no expansion of one's horizons or appreciation for the finer things in the world. Ever see the commercial with the dog who brings a stick to a boy, tail a-wagging, and the boy simply throws the stick in the trash? That is what I'm talking about. So long as people can stuff themselves with McDonald's food, play with their X-boxes and show off their bling-bling, they are satisfied... and they are going willingly into a condition of consumer slavery.

The typical answer to my opening question is "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." That much is certainly true. After all, if you stub your toe on the same loose board every morning, clearly you are not learning from the past. But I believe that this pragmatic answer just doesn't cut it. History goes far beyond a tool of wisdom. Our past tells us who we are and where we have been. It is wholly and entirely our identity.

Can you imagine waking up one morning with total amnesia? Would you want to forget your name, your loved ones, and your entire past? Doesn't sound good, does it? Now imagine this happening to everyone in the world. In general we have a blase attitude toward history, and it is leading to collapse.

I feel that history is second only to the individual soul in terms of societal value. Come on, people... before too long, non-caring will become non-thinking, and hasn't that process already started?