Learning

What are you curious about?

Math, Science, English, and Social Studies—none of these subjects interested me while I was in school. Lunch and recess were my favorite “classes.” Can anyone else relate? It wasn’t until college that learning became exciting. History classes quickly became my favorite and still top my list for things to read about and explore.

What fascinates me most about studying history is seeing its connection to the present day. Understanding the past helps us make sense of the world today and opens us up to empathizing with people and situations around us. But looking back, the history I learned in school wasn’t the full picture. It lacked different perspectives and had a lot of bias. I get why this might happen—to build pride and patriotism—but it has its downsides.

Nowadays, there’s a lot of misunderstanding around topics like immigration, territory conflict, religion, and social programs. There’s a shortage of empathy and a tendency to fear or dislike what we don’t know about or fully understand. Learning more about history as an adult has opened my eyes and helped me develop a more empathetic outlook.

I wonder if teaching history with a focus on different perspectives could help tackle the intolerance we see today. By understanding not just our own history but also others’, could we become more understanding and open-minded about what challenges us? I believe that adding these perspectives can help create a better world where empathy and understanding prevail.

It could be an age thing, who knows.