I still read articles such as this for perspective.

http://www.news.utoronto.ca/lead-stories/university-of-toronto-archaeologists-find-cache-of-cuneiform-tablets-in-270-1.html (dead link in 2013)

When we get so wound up in day to day life, it’s good to sit back and think other people had bigger problems (and still do).

Many people don’t understand the purpose of studying history. They think: it’s over, done, let’s move on, we have things to do now.

This is shortsighted & misguided thinking.

I think what history does is set the stage for understanding human culture, including contemporary culture. Understanding past cultural conflicts gives us a better understanding of current conflicts. No one can possibly hope to understand the current issues in Middle East without knowing it’s history (which is very long, and very complex). And knowing how people everywhere have responded under various stresses and opportunties can’t help but inform & ground your thoughts.

We live in the shadows of past events.

To look ahead sometimes we need to look back to see where we’ve come from.

There is no crystal ball to predict the future, but if you find yourself half way up a mountain, I believe looking back may help you ask the answer the question: “WTF am I doing here now?” And then you can address what do you want to do in the future based on this knowledge. We sometimes call this strategic consulting.

This is why the transition from the study of ancient & medieval history to the practice of market research has never seemed a stretch to me.

In the end we tell stories and the stories involve people.

Simple.

What’s your story? Why are you where you are right now?

“Because” is not a good answer.

Cheers