Cultural Theory: Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life

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Human beings are very proud of history, they often spend too much time looking at what happened in the past yet there is nothing that can be done to alter the situation. This is the reason why Geothe said that he hates everything that does not improve or even energize his present actions (Nietzsche, 1983). This dwelling on the past whether good or bad will only brings harm since, as we remember the good so do the bad appear.

We ought to realize that the past no matter how glorious it was is past and we are in the present and should concentrate on making it better and happier.

When we dwell on the past, it is like suffering from a disease that slowly eats us up since we are unable to appreciate the present and what we can do to make it better. We instead become bitter and remorseful and worse still we let another precious day go to waste (Ramadanovic, 2001).

Though human beings claim to be better than animals, there is a lot they can learn from animals. Animals live in the moment; they feed, rest and leap about all day and at night they eat more then lay down to rest.

Day by day and night by night the same routine and they never seem to get bored or down cast, they indulge in the pleasures or displeasure of the moment. It is only when they look at man that they stop what they are doing to give him a critical look may be wondering why he can not be happy or why his mind is always occupied or why he can not move and leap about in happiness just like them.

Man on the other hand, tries to understand why the animals always look happy and never seem troubled by anything. The reason is actually very simple, animals live in the moment once it passes it dies naturally and they never go back to it instead, they embrace each moment they have.

The reason for mans unhappiness is that moments and experiences are stored up, they seem to go away only to come back and haunt him when he least expects them. Mans experiences are stored up in history, a history he tries very hard to shake off but simply can not let go.

Man is unable to go into a state of forgetfulness and when he does, it is in death where not only does he loose his past but also his present and become a has-been, another history. What is the use of history then if it only brings suffering in a persons living days (Heidegger, 1991).

If one is to achieve happiness, even the smallest happiness, one has to have the ability to forget the past, the history, no matter how good or bad it was. If one lives in a past that was good and full of happiness, longing and the inability to appreciate the present and what can be made of it, will bring bad feelings.

If the history is bad the same case happens, one is wishing they never went through that or thinking of the things they could have done differently and is unable to appreciate the present as gift to be happy. Happiness is about embracing the smallest of happiness in the present without interrupting it with memories of the past and using it to cultivate more and more happiness.

This is better than having great episodes of happinesss once in a while. The continued cultivation of happiness can only be achieved by a person who stands firmly against history and never be swayed by it. This is a person who will also make others happy (Nietzsche, 1983).

It is good to live unhistorical; this means not being disturbed by any past memories just like an animal and live in the moment. However, for a healthy individual, people or even culture, a balanced measure of both historical and unhistorical is important. This starts in people with the right capacity to get out of the past and foreign, to heal the wounds, pick up the broken pieces of their lives and move on with life.

This power is of different degree in each individual. Some people are able to recover from past nasty experiences and suffering and go on with their lives while others are broken by the smallest of misfortunes or injustice and their lives are sucked in it forever.

Some people can not be able to recover from a broken marriage that ends up in divorce and succumb to alcoholism while in others, this is a momentary setback they build their lives again, succeed and even give themselves a chance to commit themselves to another marriage. Others are cruel and will commit many injustices and not feel any remorse and go on with life as if nothing happened.

For a healthy individual, people and a culture, strong people who are able to bound their experiences in the horizon and cultivate cheerfulness, good conscience, joy and confidence in the future are required. These people know when to look into their past experiences for lessons and when to forget it all (Pearce, 2007).

Interestingly, Nietzsche, (1983) says that the finest of all things are done in a state of unhistorical where a person forgets all the past and the surroundings and concentrates on which he desires and strives to do. It is in this condition that a painter of the finest pieces of art works, separating himself from everything and everyone, focuses on the task ahead.

This means acting unjustly to the surrounding, never give the past a chance, thought of the possible danger and warnings are completely forgotten and one thinks in a very narrow minded manner. All his love is given to the deed ahead and the results are the greatest. On the other hand, there the suprahistorical individuals who succeed by looking into the past so as to get the courage to conquer the future.

These individuals chase happiness which is in the future and they have to work hard to get there. They look into the past so as to be able to understand the present and what they desire of the future. However, their look into the past is not in dwelling into it, it is to shed light into the present and the future thus; history serves them instead of being an impediment to the present.

In regard to this also, are those individuals who blend the past into the future to become one. To these individuals there is nothing new the future will bring that has not been experienced in the past. The world comes to an end at the end of every single moment. What I can not understand about these individuals is whether they achieve any happiness with this kind of attitude (Lovitt, 1977).

Conclusion

It is however important to note that man can not completely disregard history in the guise of seeking happiness. History is important to him.

Man cannot act like an animal since he it at a higher level that them in that he takes actions and struggles to make things happen, he preserves and respect some aspects of his life that must not be forgotten and also he experiences some things that make him suffer but, he always seeks salvation from this.

References

Heidegger, M. (1991). The Age of the World Picture. In T. Rorty, Essays on Heidegger and Others (pp. 98-127). Great Britain: Cambridge University Press.

Lovitt, W. (1977). The Age of the World Picture. In W. Lovitt, The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays (pp. 115-154). United States of America: Harper Torchbooks.

Nietzsche, F. (1983). Untimely Meditations: On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life. In T. Howard, Religion and the Rise of Historicism: W.M.L de Wette, Jacob Burckhardt, and the Theolocical Origins of Nineteetnth-Century Historical Conciousness (pp. 59-123). Great Britain: Cambridge University Press.

Pearce, C. (2007). History for Life: Simms and Nietzsche Compared. United States of America: University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Ramadanovic, P. (2001). From Haunting to Trauma: Nietzsches Active Forgeting and Blanchots Writing of the Disaster. New Hampshire: Universirty of New Hampshire

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Cultural Theory: Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life

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