All retainers of the Nabeshima clan must be familiar with the lore and customs (kokugaku) of the domain. 21 It is lamentable that such learning has been neglected of late. Why is it necessary? It helps one understand the origins of the Nabeshima clan, and appreciate the great sacrifices and generosity of the domain’s forefathers to ensure its continued prosperity.
Gratitude is owed to Lord Gōchū22 for his compassion and valor, and to Lord Risō23 for his benevolent deeds and faith. For it was thanks to them that the might of Lord Takanobu24 and Lord Nippō25 ensured the clan’s longevity and an enduring, honorable reputation
Hagakure: Secret Wisdom of the Samurai | Yamamoto Tsunetomo
If history is truly understood and assimilated, mistakes are not repeated and triumphs are repeated often. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. War continues, periods of flourish and the ways that path to flourishment occurred are not tracked or passed down.
The samurai of the Nabeshima clan knew this. They sought to infuse their warriors with the clans’ history.
Those who refuse to study history have no concept of accomplishment and no framework for their contribution to shaping society, which we all take part in.
Without studying samurai before them, young Nabeshima clan retainers had no appreciation of the past or framework to preserve what makes the present good, deep into the future.
Every Problem You Have Was Had Before
The medium may be different, but the problem is the same. Some survived, most quit, a couple wrote it down for you.
Every outcome from every problem contains a morsel of knowledge that could be as fine as the edge of a blade. You may need to look close and think deeply to find your lessons, which may be as graceful and Nascent as a single drop of water.
Absorbing lessons often requires cutting open our egos–which is painful, in the way taking bitter medicine is painful–but required for staying out of ruts and ditches while along the path.
Those who ignore history face problems men have already solved before.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu believes that the most important subject for a politician to study is history.
The key to problems you face now, and the key to preventing undesired results in the future, is understanding how things unfolded in the past. The answers are free in a public library waiting for you to take them.
The answers may be waiting in a free audiobook.
The answers you need may be in the mind of an elderly person who wants to share their lessons more than anything before they die, but no one will listen.
You earn knowledge by learning and applying.
You gain Wisdom from learning and absorbing.
Wisdom comes from learning of other’s misfortunes while avoiding the process which caused their setbacks.
Reading and studying often allows you to put pieces of solutions together. Through study, you create a mental-reference pond that can be drawn upon in all circumstances. The more you know, the more knowledge you will have to pull from so there are no downsides to gaining more knowledge and skill. (the path)
“I don’t know” means I don’t care enough to solve it when it comes to applications of solving your own problems. If you don’t know, then you must action yourself to know.
Great Men Read Great Books
Great men read books written by authors who solved their problems for them. Greatness must be passed down to upcoming generations so that we consistently make society a better place to live.
Too many souls die without sharing their knowledge.
Ignoring issues until they go away works until the issues come back and they always do.
Greatness is accomplishing the goals you set out to. You establish what greatness is, then decide how you reach it.
Legacy
Legacy requires solving problems that have not been solved before in the current medium of your era. But every generation has solved problems and has wisdom on how to solve problems, so really each generation uses the previous generations’ wisdom to solve their problems, and repeat the cycle.
Historic figures solved their modern problems, as you will solve your modern problems, which will not be the problems of the generation budding before you. Instead of competing with them or disregarding their ways, learn their ways and communicate with them so that you can remove mistakes from their lives through the wisdom of your life.
Studying history will teach you about the workings of the world today. We aren’t more advanced than the men from previous generations. We are all the same species, building faster than our nature will allow us to adapt.
Lessons From Evil
Heroes inspire us to be. Villains inspire us not to be.
Many historians try to hide evil, erasing people like Hitler or Stalin from history. This is a Grave mistake. Do not hide evil; that makes it grow stronger. Bring evil into the light, study it, so you can understand it and DEFUSE IT.
Imagine if bomb-squad training involved ignoring a bomb and not understanding it. For some reason with history, many choose to ignore the vessel of lessons, which are often bound in mediums like books, speeches, letters, and other forms of communication.
Instead of Banning Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kumpf, it should be studied and evaluated like a BOMB to disarm future BOMBS BEFORE THEY CAN EXPLODE.
Erasing or ignoring evil is feeding it. Plants bloom in the light, and evil blooms in the dark.
Read and understand evil people. Become aware of those who appear to be following in their paths so you can rally the community to stop them before they grow too powerful to be stopped. Consuming information about evil people does not make you evil, which many believe today. They believe this because they are afraid, and you cannot be angry with those who are fearful; they are controlled by emotions and not logic.
Understanding evil allows you to greater protect those who are afraid of it.
Models From History
Find inspirational people from history; understand a evil person can inspire you to move AGAINST EVIL. Studying evil is uncomfortable. Most people are not made for it; if you are, you have a duty to understand evil to prevent its growth, like a doctor understands cancer to better destroy it.
It’s easy to consume content that has no sharp edges. Self-help books that have curse words in the cover to appear edgy, when really they are velvety soft. Absorb content that is in opposition to your stances so you can further defend against what you despise.
History cannot change. But it can be erased by force or by ignorance. Not studying evil is erasing history by ignorance.
The weak who fear history attempt to hide history. History does not go away.
2 comments
Opening line had me hooked. “History studied, is history never repeated. Or, if prosperous, repeated often.”
This article came at a good time. I was doing some self-reflection looking back at my journal from 2017 the other day. In some areas, I was kicking ass and it left me wondering where the hell I went wrong right now. In other areas, my progress is marked. Either way, I’m motivated as hell by looking back at my own past. I now know what to repeat and what to avoid.
I like the idea of studying anti-heroes as well. If a monster as savage as Hitler could raise an army, how much more could one succeed with openly embraced intentions?
Brother, what was your favorite book you read in 2017? Mine had to be The Compound Effect courtesy of your recommendation.
Got you, man. I agree. I don’t do vaccines, though.