During past week three things inspired me:
Quote
"The only real revolution is in the enlightenment of the mind and the improvement of character." ~ Will and Ariel Durant
Idea
History isn’t just about old dates and dusty facts, its a guidebook that helps us understand who we are and where we’re going. By looking at how people lived, loved, and learned in the past, we can make smarter choices today. The lessons of history in the numerous field of Geography, Biology, Economics, Race/Caste, Morality, Religion etc. helps us in gaining better understanding of past from multidisciplinary view points. Mahavira and Jain philosophy call this “Anekantvad”. History also teaches us deep inside we are same to our ancestors in our ends or objectives only means have changed due to advanced technology.
Book
The Lessons of History is a short but powerful book that looks at how human life has changed over thousands of years. The authors, Will and Ariel Durant, study great ideas like nature, people, war, money, and government. They start by saying history is hard to understand because it’s full of guesses and opinions. But even with all the confusion, it still teaches us important lessons. They remind us that the present is shaped by the past, and to understand today, we must learn from history.
The book shares lessons from many angles. It explains how geography and weather helped early civilizations grow, but now technology helps people overcome nature. It talks about how life is full of competition and how not everyone is born equal. Still, any group that lets its people grow and use their talents will do better over time. The authors say race doesn’t decide success—civilization and good systems do. They also believe real change comes from better thinking and stronger character, not just from revolutions or force.
Later, the Durants explore how morals, religion, money, and power have shaped the world. They show that people and governments keep repeating the same patterns—growth, greed, war, and rebuilding. They believe democracy, while not perfect, has helped give people more freedom and opportunity than other systems. They end the book by asking, “Is progress real?” Their answer: yes—but not because we’re better people than before, but because we’ve learned from those who came before us. In the end, it’s up to us to use that knowledge wisely. You can read more about the book in this Link.
Lastly to every reader Happy Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Mahavira Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti, and Bihu.
Best Wishes.