If you’re not curious about history, you’re doomed to be attached to it.
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General observation: people who are curious about history tend to read actual history books. People who are attached to history tend to read biographies and “classics” but studiously avoid developing a broader sense of context around the bits of history they valorize.
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Good histories, whatever their politics, tend to humanize all actors on the stage. It’s hard to remain attached to a cultural identity once a particular set of ancients you might identify with has been humanized. You start noticing how they’re like living people you know.
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Venkatesh Rao
3 of the 4 histories I’ve read so far in my pandemic history binge hit that standard. The 4th, Arthur Herman’s Freedom’s Forge, while informative on the subject I was curious about, is not as good. Slides into near-hagiography. https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1246565978021842944?s=21 …https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1246565978021842944 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
Venkatesh Rao @vgrPandemic live-reads meta-thread. I have reasons I’m reading these right now and finding them useful for current headspace, but I’ll save those for a blog post. First one was history of Astounding, the legendary sci-fi magazine. https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1233210973793574912 …Show this thread1 reply 0 retweets 9 likesShow this thread -
One of the best things about post-Columbian American history is that it is short enough and well-documented enough, you can humanize every bit of it. There is no confounding mist of legend and mythology to penetrate. Which is why the statues debate is so fraught here.
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Replying to @vgr
But don’t you think those myths and legends are deeply embedded concepts in the public psyche? Even if dispelled by dispassionate history?
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Replying to @PlagueofCustom
The need is deeply embedded but the specific anchoring can shift around as history humanizes specific bits.
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Replying to @vgr
Don’t want to interrupt thread, but can you possibly give an example of what you mean?
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Venkatesh Rao
https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1281407187953184768?s=21 …https://twitter.com/vgr/status/1281407187953184768 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
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Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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