Serious question: What do you hope to achieve by studying history?

Serious question: What do you hope to achieve by studying history?

Understanding of why things are the way they are

I have no social skills and I'm no good at math

>achieve
I like to know how I got to the shop, you know what I mean? What would your life be like if everyday you suddenly became aware of yourself at a shop counter? Wouldn't you want to know how you got there? Think of that film Memento, without a knowledge of the past, Guy Pearse's character is how society acts.

Yes, but what will you do with that understanding?

Acquire knowlegde about the past, present and the future.
To understand the processes and important moments in history that lead up to this point, in order to better understand the world and act upon that.
Plus its fun.

Ideally so I don't repeat it and can encourage others not to do the same in good faith

Really it's just because math is hard and history is actually fun

Satisfying my curiosity

This tbqh.

In general a reason to study history is to use it as a foundation and tool to help make decisions in a macrocosm

For me specifically? It is entertaining. It helps me achieve mirth and laughter by reading the stories of elagabalus and garbo, it helps me achieve feelings of awe when reading about Alexander and Yi Sun-sin out maneuvering and crushing a numerically superior force. It gives me feelings of sadness when reading about the tragedies of Majorian and soldiers on the fronts of the world wars.

To better understand the human condition. Also it can be fun

I'm liking this thread.

To achieve gnosis only to throw it away as I usurp the Demiurge's current role, becoming the new Demiurge, spreading suffering and pain through the world to challenge mankind.

Because its WICKED COOL

Trying to understand the world without any knowledge of history is like trying to enjoy a book by only reading the last page.

To learn about the ways of man and improve my strategic capabilities.

I am working towards a PhD and I ask myself this question daily. Why the fuck am I filling my head with knowledge about people and things that are long gone? If I got hit a bus and my brain spilled on the pavement would I have wasted my time?

My answer in short: I like to look for the constants and patterns in human behaviour that let us understand why we are the way we are. It brings us closer and closer to being able to define human nature and therefore better ourselves and society overall if we apply the lessons learned from history. We don't do that at a societal level sadly so I apply it to self improvement on the level of the individual.

Entertainment. I enjoy it. It's like a story.

>What do you hope to achieve by studying history?
It entertains me.
I'm also studying for a history degree, but that's just because in my country not graduating college is right about the same as not graduating middle school in terms of job prospects. I don't actually expect to find a history related job.
>why aren't you studying something useful employment-wise then
Tried it. I'm just too lazy to perform at university levels if I'm not interested in the subject. I dropped out of medschool two years in.

Any Veeky Forums readers FSOs or in the USFS/Dept. of State?

It's fun and interesting

because its wicked pissah

Satisfaction and thirst for knowledge. That is, autism.

Nothing, but I like it, and I don't feel like a complete waste of oxygen when I'm wasting my time studying it.

I mostly study history to reaffirm my own views/beliefs and to look down on those who lack the knowledge that I do

best answer yet

To impress random strangers that I meet at the interval during the symphony.

So I can repeat good stuff and prevent a few mistakes.

Veeky Forums in a nutshell.

fuller understanding of that pernicious creature we call man