Goal
Today, I discuss why collectivists hate history.
The Table of Contents
- The Past Offers Wisdom
- Collectivists always Attack the Past
- Why Do Collectivists Push Us Away from the Past?
- Have the Courage to Study History
- Actionables
The Past Offers Wisdom
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” – Winston S. Churchill
Human history is a passionate web of mistakes and triumphs. You can find everything you need to know about life within the tomes of past civilizations: how do the mighty succeed? What makes people weak, spineless, and brutish? What promotes the social best? How do you free the individual from the mob? And so on.
From pithy quotes to insights into human nature, the past gives you the knowledge to better understand human action, value, and behavior.
Collectivists always Attack the Past
Collectivists are short-sighted yet violent. They will destroy everything in their path to achieve their impossible “utopias.”
Collectivists always attack history through mockery, belittlement, and disrespect despite the wisdom found in the past. For example, race hustlers will declare the wisest men and women to be boldface, unapologetic bigots. Or Marxists will reduce the complex civilizations to a simple battle of oppressed versus oppressor.
Collectivists attack until every little detail about the past is attached to bigotry and evil. No matter the creed or flag, all collectivists oppose history in one form or another.
Why Do Collectivists Push Us Away From The Past?
The collectivist’s analysis of the past is never helpful, gracious, or grateful. They are not trying to improve your life or provide better insights into the wisdom of the past. They always start with the premise that our ancestors are inferior.
However, if history is full of knowledge and wisdom, why do collectivists attack it? There are three main reasons.
1) The Past Offers More Wisdom Than The Collectivists of Today
Despite the hemming and hawing of collectivists, the past is full of wisdom, compassion, and great insight. Our ancestors were not perfect but neither are we.
Firstly, the past offers greater insight into the human condition than collectivists can. When faced with humanity’s endless problems, collectivists can only scream “socialism!” at everything. For example, do people need health care? The socialist and nationalists shrieks to socialize it. They don’t care about corrupt governmental forces, staggering inflation, and the government’s vast control of the health care system already. They have their simplified solution even though history reveals such solutions as idiotic.
Collectivists of all economic, political, and ethnic strips have no greater insight, no respect for nuance, and no ability to grasp the various needs of individuals. However, we can see what can and won’t work by analyzing ancient times, especially for dire or relaxed situations. Although past people had foolish ideas, they still have more wisdom than the collectivists shrieking to collectivize everyone’s resources.
2) Collectivists Are Weak – Their Ancestors Were Not
“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” – George Orwell
Collectivists have made the world small and pathetic. We are all addicts, distracted and lost. Our art is garbage, our leaders corrupt, and our consumerism is out of control.
Our societal woes stem from turning our backs on virtue and individualism. And collectivists know this. Our world isn’t terrible because of freedom and responsibility. Our society suffers because of collectivization, socialism, and the repression of virtue.
Thus, collectivists must distract you from the past where ideas were more significant, men were stronger, and the individual more responsible and capable. They don’t want you to see this world and long for it, lest you demand better from yourself, your leaders, and your neighbors.
3) History Shows Collectivism Always Fails
History shows all collectivists’ efforts fail, regardless of race, culture, or ideology. When extended beyond a small, voluntary community, collectivism leads to massive death and destruction for the powerless and well-being and stability for the powerful.
The collectivist hates history because it shows us what happens when we disregard the rights and wellbeing of virtuous individuals: we achieve mayhem, death, and eventual collapse.
Therefore, the socialist, fascist, and nationalist have to keep your mind in the present. They must present their ideas as unique and suited for present problems. If they ever refer to history, their references are carefully selected to “prove” their solutions will work.
Have The Courage To Study History
You are not superior to your ancestors just because you hold contemporary opinions. Have the courage to learn from them and seek to live more virtuously than they did.
History offers wisdom and insight into the human condition. Through history, you will develop an understanding of suffering, gratitude for your life, and insight into your limitations and strengths.
Don’t listen to collectivists. Study history and the past. The past, like the present, is never perfect. Our ancestors were flawed, troubled, and sometimes brutish. But they were strong, capable, and wise. We have to sift through the elements that may trouble our present sensibilities to gain timeless wisdom.
Actionables
“Study the past if you would define the future.” – Confucius
- I strongly suggest reading True Believer as it covers why people join mass movements, even if those movements kill innocent individuals. Additionally, it goes into detail about how the collectivists always erase the past as a means of gaining control.
- Who is someone from ancient times you admire? What do you admire about them? How can you live more as they did?
- What is a great nugget of wisdom you’ve learned from the past? How has that wisdom helped strengthen you?
- What great evil do you condemn from the past? Now compare that evil to our time today. For example, our ancestors owned slaves. Such an act is condemnable. However, there are more slaves alive today than there ever have been. Use this exercise when you wish to feel superior to those who came before you.
Please remember that it’s important to do the actionables. You’re not on this earth to simply read but to do. To become an individual, you must act more than you consume.
*Image credit to Unsplash.
