An apology offered and, equally important, received is a step towards reconciliation and, sometimes, recompense. Without that process, hurts can rankle and fester and erupt into their own hatreds and wrongdoings.
Margaret MacmillanRead
I think what we should do as historians is understand. And we can have our own views about how things turned out, but I think, in making judgements, we're getting into tricky territory.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Historians should strive to understand events objectively rather than just judge them based on personal views.
In this quote, Margaret Macmillan emphasizes the role of historians in comprehending the complexities of historical events rather than simply forming judgments. She highlights the importance of understanding different perspectives and the nuances involved in historical interpretations, cautioning against the pitfalls of bias when evaluating the past.
Themes
HistoryUnderstandingJudgmentNuancePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on historical objectivity, this quote can remind students about the importance of understanding events rather than just forming opinions.
More from Margaret Macmillan
All quotes →Climate change respects no borders.
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War is a crucial, deeply ingrained part of human history. It has to be understood.
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There was that argument that if we had more women in positions of authority, the world would be a nicer place. And then we got Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi. When women become acclimatised to war, they can become every bit as ruthless as men.
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Theodore Roosevelt's policy to build a two-ocean navy confirmed that the old-style isolationism of the founders had not survived the modern, increasingly globalized world.
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If we don't take responsibility for each other, it seems to me the future is going to be even bleaker.
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By 1892, enlightenment had progressed to the point where the Salem trials were simply an embarrassing blot on the history of New England. They were a part of the past that was best forgotten: a reminder of how far the human race had come in two centuries.
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