History has been a boring subject for many students in primary school and beyond. This gets more noticeable if one considers how it is often taught: history classes usually require memorization rather than learning. However, as with all things in life, we can use everything for our growth, including history reading.

Using history for our growth

History is full of lessons. You do not need to memorize anything to take these lessons. If you want to impress someone with your knowledge, it can be useful to memorize stuff. However, if you want to use history reading for your growth, all you would have to do is actively look for the lessons behind the words.

Looking for the lessons does not mean that you read chapters and chapters of history books. There are so many resources out there on the net that bring a comprehensive summary of different historical periods and events. You can make use of these resources while, at the same time, focusing more on the facts and less on the author’s opinion.

When it comes to finding the lessons behind the words, it is not expected to find them in a conclusion paragraph at the end of the text. Rather, you infer the lesson that is hidden there. The next time you read something about history or anything about the past, you can experiment with that. If you have this mentality (of looking for lessons) before you start reading, history can turn out to be quite interesting and fascinating.

Using history to improve our relationships

Most of the lessons one can take by reading history would be about relationships between people. The overwhelming majority of documented history has to do with individuals, communities, nations, and their interactions. It is thus logical that most of those lessons can help make your own interactions with others a bit better.

By reading about great men, paramount nations, and powerful empires, you can notice patterns of behavior among individuals. In other words, you may find yourself taking the same lessons from different historical eras. The context, geography, or even the times may be different, but you may notice very similar behavior among individuals.

When you notice the behavior and the results of this behavior at the same time, you can infer what behavior leads to a better life. This is possible only when looking at the past, which is always history. At this moment, all you see is someone’s behavior and actions. You do not usually see the results of those actions a second or minute after seeing the behavior. So, that’s why history matters!

Take away:

• When reading about the past or about history, you can actively look for the lessons you can take from it. Not only has this the potential to enhance your life, but it can also make the very reading much more interesting.
• Most of the lessons you can take by reading history would be about relationships between people.
• When you notice the behavior and the results of this behavior at the same time (such as when you read about history), you can infer what behavior leads to a better life and what behavior impairs life.