The Dirty Secrets of History

History can: 
be Boring

be Non-controversial

be Patriotic and ethnocentric

be An uncritical acceptance of Myths used as propaganda

be Focused on a chronological study of events

be Compilations of "Facts" such as names of people and places along with related dates

be In conformity with one and only one nation's norms and beliefs...i. e. One's own country

be Prescriptive in perspective...using history to support a specific point of view and ignoring any evidence to the contrary

be A ready acceptance of conventional wisdom

consider itself as The story of bad guys versus good guys

require students to Use only approved materials such as approved textbooks

expect: Everyone to have the same beliefs and to reach the same conclusions

control its study with Regulations, certifications, standards of learning, degrees, the assumption being that you must always have the appropriate credentials in order to prove you have the relevant knowledge

be used to control our thoughts

diminish our ability to make wise decisions as well as diminish our ability either to understand ourselves or to understand the rest of the world

OR

History can:
be Fascinating

be Controversial

be Multi-perspective

be Myth-debunking when myths are used as propaganda

be Examinations of motives and of forces and of movements in a broad understanding of those concepts

seek Meaningful patterns over periods of time or from place to place

involve and use All potential sources of information and knowledge

expect Different people to hold different viewpoints which will be analyzed and critiqued as even-handedly as humanly possible

be Descriptive, investigative and analytic in perspective...an examination of evidence to reach conclusions that have not become fossilized beforehand

be An intensive scrutiny of conventional wisdom

Free our Thinking from ignorance

Increase our ability to make wise decisions and to understand ourselves as well as to understand the rest of the world