Peaceful Coexistence

Peaceful coexistence is a beautiful idea, but if I had to choose between peace and coexistence, I would choose peace.

History

In one of Satyajit Ray's stories, the following was the description of a 'wise man'.

"He had extensive knowledge of the past, and he was aware of the present. Using these, he could predict the future."

Indeed, human nature has not changed much in thousands of years. Nor has the fundamental nature of our problems changed. We are faced with similar tough choices to make. As a consequence, in the words of Mark Twain:

"The past does not repeat itself, but it rhymes."

I think that the single most important reason to study history is to help us understand human nature and instincts, so that we can predict the future, and possibly take steps to prepare for it. Sadly though, history is never taught with such a goal...

The nature of nature
is not limited by the limits
of our wits.