Last Updated on March 15, 2026
How do we find our inner tranquility? Learn history, make changes and create a better future for humankind.
What do you see?
I see the beautiful landscapes created by Mother Nature; I see the people who tried to settle or resettle into a new territory; I see poor communication and little knowledge of cultural appreciation that leads to bloodshed and violence, turning our lands into battlefields (or White Terror) rather than forming the key elements (i.e., people, territory, government, authority or sovereignty) of a country harmoniously together.
According to Why People Often Choose Not To Communicate Effectively Today, human society has evolved into a diverse world due to Human Migration. As a result, many of us are all from different groups, making a living on the same land.
Since history doesn’t always tell us the whole picture, the purpose of learning history is to improve the current system and create a better future for all.
how history helps us to understand ourselves and our surroundings
1. Learn more about ourselves
Did you know our known world is made by history (Neem, n.d.)? Learning history helps us dive deeper into our lives and the lives of others. I found “History” to be one of the most difficult subjects during high school. History doesn’t have a definite answer – there is no right or wrong and it is not black and white.
Due to an identity crisis, I never felt I belonged where I used to be – a high-competition and low-recognition environment. Therefore, when I finally had the courage to make a real difference in my life, I knew I was on the right track.
I was a bookworm (e.g., historical fiction and literature) when I was little, but I stopped reading due to stress. After settling in, I resumed reading and practicing mindfulness. This is the power of understanding history – I made peace with myself.
2. Learn more about our surroundings
As an individual from a highly developed city (which also comes with great peer pressures, see Breaking the Chains of Stress Eating), I could never imagine what a self-sufficient life (a simple living) is. Believe it or not, my family and I settled into a suburban life – and we are loving it so much.
Because the environment is laid-back, peaceful and relaxing, I learned to be less bitter about my childhood and all that I went through. Additionally, people in our neighbourhood love to give back to the community via volunteering events.
Learn history, make Changes and create a better future
Today is Canada’s National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is not just a day for us to recognize Indigenous cultures and contributions and how they respect and live with nature, but a day to remind us of our history and how far we’ve come.
Colonialism, for instance, is a part of many countries and territories’ history, which affects people to this day, except for Japan. Japan is the only country that consistently appears on every list of countries that have never been colonized, controlled or occupied (“Countries Never Colonized 2023,” n.d.). Perhaps Japan wasn’t affected by colonialism within their territory directly, they paid the price after World War II.
Conclusion
Understanding our local history (the past) and learning from mistakes (the present) is how we create a better future (the future) for ourselves and future generations.
After all, the purpose of recognizing our bloody history is to remind us that there’s so much more to learn and we should never forget about the beauty of humanity.
References
Neem, J. N. (n.d.). Connecting Past to Present: The History Major in Our Communities. American Historical Association. https://www.historians.org/teaching-and-learning/why-study-history/careers-for-history-majors/connecting-past-to-present
Countries Never Colonized 2023. (n.d.). World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-never-colonized
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