Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine and valleys of frustration and failure.
Bill WattersonRead
History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History is shaped by our interpretations and beliefs, often changing as societal values evolve.
This quote by Bill Watterson suggests that history is not merely a factual recounting of events; rather, it is a narrative constructed by society to make sense of the past. Watterson argues that as our values and prejudices shift over time, so too does our interpretation of historical events, necessitating new versions of history that resonate with contemporary perspectives. This reflects the idea that history is subjective and can be influenced by the cultural and moral standards of different eras.
Themes
HistoryInterpretationNarrativeValuesPersuasionPrejudice
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a discussion about the subjectivity of historical narratives.
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