We fail to learn from history because we fail to understand it. Then we double-down as historians come up with a narrative to suit their ideological ambitions, and it gets repeated until it's undisputed absolute known truth to those of all ideological persuasions. "Undisputable known history" permanently lodged in our heads is probably the greatest impediment to a level of knowledge and understanding capable of preventing us from repeated the same tragic events in human history.
It might be impossible to understand how the world works if current observations must be reconciled with old institutional and perhaps gratifying historical narratives.
It most likely is some combination, different from person to person. People are maddeningly complicated. They can act on pure instinct or precision planning, then proceed to either blatantly lie and/or completely misdiagnose their own motives, thus confidently spew nonsense. As independent spirits, it's our role to figure it out, and we can also be a hot mess of blindness, ulterior motives, and foolishness.
I'm not sure how we should define intentional. We have some very strong subconscious instincts capable of prompting action. "Intentional" can be a carefully thought out plan with a clear and rational objective, or it can be a spontaneous, delirious act of desperation born of madness from sustained psychological distress. What we're witnessing appears to me as the latter.
We fail to learn from history because we fail to understand it. Then we double-down as historians come up with a narrative to suit their ideological ambitions, and it gets repeated until it's undisputed absolute known truth to those of all ideological persuasions. "Undisputable known history" permanently lodged in our heads is probably the greatest impediment to a level of knowledge and understanding capable of preventing us from repeated the same tragic events in human history.
It might be impossible to understand how the world works if current observations must be reconciled with old institutional and perhaps gratifying historical narratives.
What if it's both?
I understand what you're saying though.
'Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of Tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.'
- William Pitt the Younger
It most likely is some combination, different from person to person. People are maddeningly complicated. They can act on pure instinct or precision planning, then proceed to either blatantly lie and/or completely misdiagnose their own motives, thus confidently spew nonsense. As independent spirits, it's our role to figure it out, and we can also be a hot mess of blindness, ulterior motives, and foolishness.
Sometimes I wonder if that's intentional?...shrug...;[
I'm not sure how we should define intentional. We have some very strong subconscious instincts capable of prompting action. "Intentional" can be a carefully thought out plan with a clear and rational objective, or it can be a spontaneous, delirious act of desperation born of madness from sustained psychological distress. What we're witnessing appears to me as the latter.