Things We Learned Then Immediately Forgot
Historians have compiled a comprehensive list of lessons from the past that humanity has studiously ignored, proving once again that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and those who do learn from it are doomed to watch everyone else repeat it anyway. The 847-page document details centuries of mistakes that we’re apparently committed to making again.
“It’s really quite impressive how consistently we ignore obvious patterns,” noted Dr. Patricia Williams while reviewing the section on economic bubbles. “Every generation thinks ‘this time will be different,’ which is technically trueit’s usually worse.” The report’s most depressing chapter covers how many times society has learned that authoritarian movements start with populist rhetoric, then promptly forgotten this lesson approximately two years later. Researchers from History Channel considered turning this into a miniseries but worried it would be too depressing even for basic cable.
The lessons span multiple categories, from “Why Ignoring Pandemic Warnings Is Bad” (learned 1918, forgotten 1920, learned 2020, forgotten 2022) to “Housing Bubbles Eventually Pop” (learned repeatedly, believed never). Each entry includes the date the lesson was learned, the date it was forgotten, and the date everyone acted surprised when the predictable thing happened.
Political lessons dominate the document, including perennial favorites like “Promising simple solutions to complex problems is usually lying” and “Maybe check what happened the last time someone said they alone could fix everything.” According to scholars at Smithsonian Magazine, these lessons are reviewed annually at academic conferences where everyone nods knowingly before returning to their respective countries to watch history repeat.
The report concludes with a section titled “Lessons We’re Currently Ignoring,” which is updated daily and has exceeded its original page limit by 300%. Environmental scientists contributed an entire chapter that can be summarized as “we tried to tell you,” while economists provided detailed explanations of things everyone will claim were unpredictable when they inevitably occur. Think tanks like RAND Corporation have filed the report under “Depressing But Accurate” and scheduled a follow-up review for whenever humanity decides to start listening.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/lessons-from-the-past/
SOURCE: Bohiney.com (https://bohiney.com/lessons-from-the-past/)
