For thousands of years, men have written history, so it seems to me that most of what we've read is from the male point of view.
Stacy SchiffRead
And in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history.
Interpretation
In the absence of facts, untruths often fill the void and grow uncontrollably.
This quote highlights the importance of facts in understanding history. When facts are lacking, myths often emerge to fill the gaps, leading to distorted interpretations that can spread like kudzu, an invasive plant known for its rapid growth and proliferation. It emphasizes the necessity of evidence-based discourse in historical narratives.
In practice
This quote could be used in a lecture about the importance of historical accuracy.
For thousands of years, men have written history, so it seems to me that most of what we've read is from the male point of view.
It has always been preferable to attribute a woman's success to her beauty rather than to her brains, to reduce her to the sum of her sex life.
Cleopatra had one great advantage. She lived at a time when female sovereigns were not anomalies. And when women enjoyed rights they would not again enjoy for another 2,000 years. You could call them early feminists, if I may use a dirty word.
Power has for so long been a male construct that it distorted the shape of the first women who tried it on, only to find themselves in a sort of straitjacket.
Women enjoyed rights in Egypt they would not again enjoy for more than 2,000 years. They owned ships, ran vineyards, filed lawsuits, practiced medicine. Their husbands supported them after divorce. Their power was unprecedented.
A woman can never be too rich or too thin, but until very, very recently, she could be too powerful, for which - if she wasn't smart enough to camouflage herself - she generally paid the price.
History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are.
It's a touchy subject, but as a Southerner, you can't ignore our history any more than a Renaissance painter can ignore the Virgin Mary. And it's impossible to drive down a road or eat a vegetable or pass a church without being reminded of slavery.
The world must know what happened, and never forget.
History suggests that the disillusioned and the disaffected do not readily take to the streets nor man the barricades to defend a system that failed to defend them.
This above all makes history useful and desirable; it unfolds before our eyes a glorious record of exemplary actions.
My staff was unanimous in believing that Japan was on the point of collapse and surrender.
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