Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. -George Santayana
You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you. -Heraclitus
Heraclitus pointed out the fundamental error in Santayana’s statement some 2,400 years before Santayana uttered it. Nevertheless, people love to engage in the exercise of finding, to them, pertinent historical parallels to support some argument they are in the act of making.
In spite of the obvious truth of Heraclitus’s statement, this blog will try to find and post examples of interesting, if inexact, historical parallels and any discussions related to the topic.
The main reason for doing this is entertainment, though there are probably many others.
Another reason is that the essential characteristics of human beings change very slowly, perhaps on something like a geological time scale. If so, then a key component in any historical tableau is essentially constant and worth examination as it reacts to changing stimuli.
Finally, I have a nagging belief in the essential value of history as a source of important lessons if we can only figure out how to use it.
I’m an amateur historian with an interest in my fellow human beings. For me, the most fascinating question ever asked is: “Why did he do that?” or perhaps, “What was she thinking?”
