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
The passion for the past is clearly about more than market forces or government policies. History responds to a variety of needs, from greater understanding of ourselves and our world to answers about what to do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that our interest in history goes beyond mere economic or political factors; it fulfills deeper human needs.
Margaret Macmillan's quote suggests that the passion we have for understanding history is driven by multiple factors, reflecting our desire to comprehend our identities and the world around us. It implies that history serves as a crucial resource for self-discovery and offers guidance for future actions, thus highlighting the intrinsic value of historical knowledge beyond just academic or professional interest.
Themes
HistoryPassionUnderstandingSelfGuidance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a lecture about the importance of historical studies in education.
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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