The cliches are abundant… ‘History repeats itself’, ‘Learn from the lessons of history’, and on and on and on.
So these are not necessary lessons learned from history, but rather perceptions based upon historical events.
It’s always grandios to consider oneself posessing enough knowledge to write a book about history. Tom Brokaw has already written a couple and is about to produce yet another. Out of the limelight yet he still can’t get enough of hearing himself talk. Yes, that is filled with a bit of prejudic toward Tom, I’m not, I just like to point out oddities in the perception others have of themselves.
That said, I do want to share a quick quote taken from his book as a metaphorical decoder ring to societies social and behavioral change during the 60’s.
“[Society] got atomized in part [because] what they learned in the ’60s is how to organize … around reasonably, or in some cases, dramatically narrow interests, and make that narrow interest the leitmotif of their life”
– Tom Brokaw
I find plenty of truth to that.
Still today, possibly following the example of those of the 60’s, a small focus of individuals can become so entrenched in a single interest, that through emotion or happenstance, can gain momentum and steamroll through societies social fabric. There is both good and bad to this. The good, nevermind the good, it serves a worthwhiel purpose. The bad… that’s where society needs to check itself.
