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Why Is History Important And How Can It Benefit Your Future?

Updated: February 28, 2024

Published: July 1, 2020

History is a topic that many find boring to study or a waste of time. But there is more to studying history than meets the eye. Let’s answer the age-old question: “Why is history important?”

What Is History?

History is the knowledge of and study of the past. It is the story of the past and a form of collective memory. History is the story of who we are, where we come from, and can potentially reveal where we are headed.

Why Study History: The Importance

History is important to study because it is essential for all of us in understanding ourselves and the world around us. There is a history of every field and topic, from medicine, to music, to art. To know and understand history is absolutely necessary, even though the results of historical study are not as visible, and less immediate.

Allows You To Comprehend More

1. our world.

History gives us a very clear picture of how the various aspects of society — such as technology, governmental systems, and even society as a whole — worked in the past so we understand how it came to work the way it is now.

2. Society And Other People

Studying history allows us to observe and understand how people and societies behaved. For example, we are able to evaluate war, even when a nation is at peace, by looking back at previous events. History provides us with the data that is used to create laws, or theories about various aspects of society.

3. Identity

History can help provide us with a sense of identity. This is actually one of the main reasons that history is still taught in schools around the world. Historians have been able to learn about how countries, families, and groups were formed, and how they evolved and developed over time. When an individual takes it upon themselves to dive deep into their own family’s history, they can understand how their family interacted with larger historical change. Did family serve in major wars? Were they present for significant events?

4. Present-Day Issues

History helps us to understand present-day issues by asking deeper questions as to why things are the way they are. Why did wars in Europe in the 20th century matter to countries around the world? How did Hitler gain and maintain power for as long as he had? How has this had an effect on shaping our world and our global political system today?

5. The Process Of Change Over Time

If we want to truly understand why something happened — in any area or field, such as one political party winning the last election vs the other, or a major change in the number of smokers — you need to look for factors that took place earlier. Only through the study of history can people really see and grasp the reasons behind these changes, and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society continue regardless of continual change.

Photo by Yusuf Dündar on Unsplash

You learn a clear lesson, 1. political intelligence.

History can help us become better informed citizens. It shows us who we are as a collective group, and being informed of this is a key element in maintaining a democratic society. This knowledge helps people take an active role in the political forum through educated debates and by refining people’s core beliefs. Through knowledge of history, citizens can even change their old belief systems.

2. History Teaches Morals And Values

By looking at specific stories of individuals and situations, you can test your own morals and values. You can compare it to some real and difficult situations individuals have had to face in trying times. Looking to people who have faced and overcome adversity can be inspiring. You can study the great people of history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, and also ordinary people who teach us lessons in courage, persistence and protest.

3. Builds Better Citizenship

The study of history is a non-negotiable aspect of better citizenship. This is one of the main reasons why it is taught as a part of school curricular. People that push for citizenship history (relationship between a citizen and the state) just want to promote a strong national identity and even national loyalty through the teaching of lessons of individual and collective success.

4. Learn From The Past And Notice Clear Warning Signs

We learn from past atrocities against groups of people; genocides, wars, and attacks. Through this collective suffering, we have learned to pay attention to the warning signs leading up to such atrocities. Society has been able to take these warning signs and fight against them when they see them in the present day. Knowing what events led up to these various wars helps us better influence our future.

5. Gaining A Career Through History

The skills that are acquired through learning about history, such as critical thinking, research, assessing information, etc, are all useful skills that are sought by employers. Many employers see these skills as being an asset in their employees and will hire those with history degrees in various roles and industries.

6. Personal Growth And Appreciation

Understanding past events and how they impact the world today can bring about empathy and understanding for groups of people whose history may be different from the mainstream. You will also understand the suffering, joy, and chaos that were necessary for the present day to happen and appreciate all that you are able to benefit from past efforts today.

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Develop and refine your skills through studying history, 1. reading and writing.

You can refine your reading skills by reading texts from a wide array of time periods. Language has changed and evolved over time and so has the way people write and express themselves. You can also refine your writing skills through learning to not just repeat what someone else said, but to analyze information from multiple sources and come up with your own conclusions. It’s two birds with one stone — better writing and critical thinking!

2. Craft Your Own Opinions

There are so many sources of information out in the world. Finding a decisive truth for many topics just doesn’t exist. What was a victory for one group was a great loss for another — you get to create your own opinions of these events.

3. Decision-Making

History gives us the opportunity to learn from others’ past mistakes. It helps us understand the many reasons why people may behave the way they do. As a result, it helps us become more impartial as decision-makers.

4. How To Do Research

In the study of history you will need to conduct research . This gives you the opportunity to look at two kinds of sources — primary (written at the time) and secondary sources (written about a time period, after the fact). This practice can teach you how to decipher between reliable and unreliable sources.

5. Quantitative Analysis

There are numbers and data to be learned from history. In terms of patterns: patterns in population, desertions during times of war, and even in environmental factors. These patterns that are found help clarify why things happened as they did.

6. Qualitative Analysis

It’s incredibly important to learn to question the quality of the information and “history” you are learning. Keep these two questions in mind as you read through information: How do I know what I’m reading are facts and accurate information? Could they be the writer’s opinions?

Photo by Matteo Maretto on Unsplash

We are all living histories.

All people and cultures are living histories. The languages we speak are inherited from the past. Our cultures, traditions, and religions are all inherited from the past. We even inherit our genetic makeup from those that lived before us. Knowing these connections give you a basic understanding of the condition of being human.

History Is Fun

Learning about history can be a great deal of fun. We have the throngs of movies about our past to prove it. History is full of some of the most interesting and fascinating stories ever told, including pirates, treasure, mysteries, and adventures. On a regular basis new stories from the past keep emerging to the mainstream. Better yet, there is a history of every topic and field. Whatever you find fascinating there is a history to go along with it. Dive a bit deeper into any topic’s history and you will be surprised by what you might find in the process.

The subject of history can help you develop your skills and transform you to be a better version of yourself as a citizen, a student, and person overall.

If you are looking to develop more of yourself and skills for your future career, check out the degree programs that are offered by University of the People — a tuition-free, 100% online, U.S. accredited university.

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Home — Essay Samples — History — What Is History — The Importance of History

The Importance of History

• Categories: Knowledge What Is History

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Words: 527 |

Published: Oct 16, 2018

Words: 527 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

What is history, the importance of understanding history, works cited:.

• Boyne, J. (2006). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Random House.
• Crowe, D. (2008). The Holocaust in the eyes of children. The English Journal, 97(4), 25-31.
• Edelman, L. (1995). The Ghetto Fights. Holocaust Library.
• Finkelstein, N. G. (2003). The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. Verso Books.
• Gilroy, A. (2011). Ethnic and racial studies. Between camps: Race and culture in postmodernity, 34(3), 458-469.
• Gleeson-White, J. (2011). Double vision: The Holocaust and representation. Australian Humanities Review, (50), 89-102.
• Roth, J. K. (2006). Teaching about the Holocaust: essays by college and university teachers. University Press of America.
• Snyder, T. (2015). Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning. Crown/Archetype.
• Wistrich, R. S. (2003). Holocaust and genocide studies. The long road back: Jewish intellectual refugees in post-war Europe, 17(2), 180-199.
• Zuckerman, M. (1999). A dream undone: The integration of soldiers in World War II. University of California Press.

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10 Reasons Why History Is Important

History encompasses more than dates, names, and places. It describes how cultures remember events, how those events are presented to the next generation, and how the present engages with the past. In recent years, there’s been a decline in the study of history. Why is this something we should care about? Here are ten reasons why history is important:

#1. History builds a better understanding of the world

How does the world work? How causes societies to thrive or fail? We can answer these questions by studying history. Because it encompasses so many areas – like medical history, art history, economic history, etc – history can give us the fullest picture of how things unfold. Perhaps most importantly, history also provides us with a better understanding of how we got to where we are now.

#2. History helps us understand humanity

Humans are complicated. It can be very challenging to figure out why people do the things they do. When we look at humanity with a broader lens, it can bring more clarity. In many ways, people are products of their environments, which includes the eras they were born in. Studying history can shed light on human behavior throughout time and help explain what’s consistent and what seems to be more dependent on context.

#3. History can teach us to be better citizens

Many people, including teachers, consider history an important part of being a good citizen. Students learn about how different policies affect their rights as citizens and how those rights came to be. For example, the history of voting reveals the many groups involved in ensuring voter equality, including the many Black and Indigenous people in places like the United States, Australia, and Canada. When students learn how hard people in the past worked for their rights, they’re more likely to understand how important they are.

#4. History can help the world make better decisions

“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it” is arguably the most famous quote about history. It’s credited to philosopher George Santayana and has been repeated by other famous people in various forms. This quote endures because it rings so true. Though many things change through time, some things don’t. Countries that don’t provide basic human rights always experience conflict. When humans hurt the planet, humans end up hurt. These are truths we can confirm by understanding history. If we commit to changing based on what we know, we can make better decisions.

#5. Studying history can improve critical thinking

Learning about history doesn’t inherently lead to better critical thinking, but it’s a great vehicle for improving this skill. Every student of history should dig deeper than just memorizing names and dates. They should ask themselves “why.” You’re also exercising critical thinking when you ask about who records history and how that might affect its presentation. Is there another perspective?

#6. Studying history opens up job opportunities

A degree in history opens up more career options than you might think. History majors find jobs in governments, NGOs, businesses, media organizations, and more. Several high-profile CEOs have backgrounds in history. This shows the value of history and that the skills that go into studying – such as critical thinking – apply to many fields. While knowing certain events and their corresponding dates might not end up being that important to your life, the “soft skills” you picked up in the process are valuable.

#7. Understanding history can protect people from conspiracy theories

Major upheavals in society can be terrifying. They can also be hard to track through one lifetime, so history provides a map for the types of scenarios that lead to big change. Things like increased poverty, war, and distrust in the government have led to more crime and political radicalization . Understanding history and what drives change helps protect people from conspiracy theories, which tend to spread faster during stressful, chaotic times. When unchecked, belief in conspiracy theories can have tragic consequences and lead to real-world violence.

#8. History shapes cultural (and national) identity

History is important to identity. Nations have holidays recognizing big historical events and figures. The stories people tell shape their view of their cultural or national identity, informing how they behave in the present. Leaders understand how important history is and will reference it whenever they believe it will inspire people.

#9. History can be manipulated to fit an agenda

Because history has such a major impact on a nation’s identity, it’s frequently manipulated and controlled. There are many things that certain groups would prefer not to remember. We can see this happening in places like the United States, where teaching about slavery and race has been controversial for decades. History textbooks contain multiple errors, omissions, or interpretations that downplay slavery. Recently, many states are passing laws that ban critical race theory in schools , but the definition isn’t clear and could lead to teachers being penalized for simply teaching about race. History is at the center of this culture war.

#10. History can facilitate empathy

Like critical thinking, history on its own doesn’t necessarily lead to more empathy, but it provides a great canvas. The nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves believes that learning history can play a key role in addressing bigotry and hate. Students can practice “ historical empathy ,” which teaches them to contextualize the actions of people in the past. Using primary sources – which show how events were represented and discussed when they were happening – is a good way to help students understand the past in a more empathetic way.

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How to Write Importance of History Essay – 2 Sample Essays

September 11, 2023 by Yusuf Ali

Essay writing about the importance of history is a common assignment among high school , college and university students. The study of history allows us to understand the past and learn from it in order to shape the future.

Writing on the importance of history essay helps to gain insight into how different aspects of the past have impacted our present-day lives. In this article, we will discuss two sample essays on the importance of history to provide you with a better understanding of how to approach this type of essay.

Table of Contents

A Step-Wise Guide on How to Write Importance of History Essay

Writing about the importance of history can be a challenging task if you don’t have the right approach. To help you get started, here is a step-wise guide on how to write an effective essay on this topic:

1. Start with an Interesting Introduction

Begin your essay by introducing the topic and providing a brief overview of what will be discussed in the essay. This will help to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your essay.

For writing an essay on the importance of history , you can start with the following hook statement – “History is important because it helps us to understand our present and make sense of what has gone before.”

2. Provide a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement establishes the main point or argument of your essay and acts as a roadmap throughout the paper. Make sure that your thesis statement conveys your opinion on the topic and provides an argument that is debatable.

For example, you can write a thesis statement such as, “The study of history helps to shape our future by providing us with insights into past mistakes and successes.”

3. Support Your Argument

Once you have established your argument in the essay, it is important to provide evidence to support your argument. This can be done by presenting historical facts and figures , citing experts in the field or providing examples of how history has impacted our lives today.

For example, you can cite historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, who used non-violent tactics to challenge the oppressive rule of British colonialists in India.

4. Conclude the Essay

Your conclusion should sum up your essay and restate your thesis statement in a different way. This will help to reiterate the main points of your argument and leave the readers with something to think about.

For example, you can conclude by saying – “In conclusion, it is evident that studying history is important as it helps us to understand our present and make better decisions for the future.”

By following the above-mentioned steps, you can easily write a comprehensive essay on the importance of history. In addition to this, you can take the help of two sample essays given below which discuss the same topic in detail.

Sample Essay 1: The Importance of History

History has always been an essential part of human life , as it has helped us understand our past and shape our future. By studying history, we can gain an understanding of different cultures, appreciate the events that have shaped our present-day lives and learn from the mistakes in order to prevent them from occurring again in the future. It is important to recognize that the past is not merely a collection of dates and events, but it also includes people’s stories, experiences, and perspectives.

The study of history helps us to understand the development of human rights , economic systems, political structures and social norms throughout time . By learning about different cultures and societies all over the world, we can acquire a better understanding of our own culture and ourselves. It is important to understand the causes and effects of major events that have happened throughout history in order to make sure that similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.

History also helps us to appreciate other cultures, religions and societies which may be different from our own. By studying different cultures, we can learn to be more tolerant and understanding of other people’s beliefs and values . This knowledge can help us in our personal interactions with others as well as when making decisions in the present day. The study of history helps us to better comprehend how civilizations rose and fell, how leaders led their people, and how certain events or discoveries changed the course of history. It provides us with a better understanding of different aspects of life, from politics, economics , science , and culture.

History also allows us to gain insight into some of the most important lessons that can be applied to our current times. For example, we have learned from past wars the devastation that can ensue from unchecked aggression and bigotry. We can use these lessons to shape our present decisions, such as choosing diplomacy over war and promoting understanding between different cultures.

Overall, history helps us to gain an appreciation for the past, understand our current situation, and plan for the future. By studying the events of past civilizations and societies, we can gain insight into our own lives and make better decisions to create a more peaceful and prosperous future. It is essential for us to learn from our mistakes in order to create a better world.

Sample Essay 2: The Importance of History

History plays an important role in our lives today. By studying the past, we are able to understand how different societies lived, how powerful leaders led their people, and how certain events or discoveries changed the course of history. It also helps us appreciate other cultures, religions and societies which may be different from our own. Additionally, history provides us with the opportunity to gain insight into some of the most important lessons that can be applied to our current times.

The study of history is essential in order to understand how civilizations rose and fell, how people lived in different societies throughout the world, and how the events of the past have shaped our present-day lives. History helps to provide context for current events and allows us to gain an understanding of different cultures, religions, and political systems. It also enables us to appreciate the perspectives of people from different backgrounds and times in history.

History also helps us learn from our mistakes in order to prevent them from occurring again in the future. By understanding why certain actions were taken or why an event happened, we can acquire a better understanding of our own culture and ourselves. We can learn more about major events that have occurred throughout history and use this knowledge to ensure similar mistakes are not made again.

The study of history gives us a better understanding of different cultures, an appreciation for major events that have shaped our lives, and an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. We can gain insight into how civilizations rose and fell, how leaders led their people, and how certain events or discoveries changed the course of history.

In addition, the study of history provides us with an opportunity to gain insight into some of the most important lessons that we can carry over to our present-day lives. We can learn from past wars and conflicts, such as the importance of diplomacy and understanding between different cultures. We can use these insights to shape our current decisions and help build a more peaceful and prosperous future.

Overall, history provides us with an appreciation for the past, an understanding of our current situation, and a chance to plan for the future. By studying the events of past civilizations and societies, we can gain insight into our own lives and make better decisions to create a more peaceful and prosperous future.

By learning from the past, we can gain a better understanding of our present and shape our future. The study of history is essential for developing an appreciation for our past, understanding different cultures, and learning valuable lessons that can be applied to our current lives. With this knowledge, we can create a more peaceful and prosperous future.

Essay writing on the importance of history is an essential skill for students. Through the study of history, we are able to appreciate different cultures, gain insight into our own lives, and learn valuable lessons that can be applied to our present-day lives.

History provides us with an understanding of the past, a better appreciation for our current situation, and an opportunity to plan for the future. By studying history, we can gain insight into our own civilization and work together to create a more peaceful and prosperous future.

Yusuf is interested in exploring the world around him and making meaningful connections with it. He then express these ideas with words for the world to enjoy. In his free time, Yusuf loves to spend time with books, nature & his family.