If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! lamented Samuel Coleridge. But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern which shines only on the waves behind us. The image is beautiful but
In her book "The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam," author Barbara W. Tuchman reflects on how humanity often fails to heed the lessons of history. She invokes a poignant quote from Samuel Coleridge, which suggests that if men were capable of learning from the past, they could avoid repeating mistakes. Instead, Tuchman notes that strong passions and political affiliations tend to obscure our judgment, preventing us from truly understanding the implications of historical events.
Tuchman's analysis emphasizes that while experience should serve as a guiding light, it often only illuminates previous errors rather than directing us toward wiser choices in the future. The metaphor of a lantern shining only on the waters astern suggests that our focus remains on past failures, rather than using those insights to navigate future challenges wisely. This reflection calls for greater awareness and the ability to learn from history instead of blindly succumbing to bias and partisanship.
