The course Facing History and Ourselves has, in many ways, changed both the way I act and think in both my academic and personal spheres. The most important lessons that I have gained as a result of this course have affected me in my perception, both in that of historical events and other people. Also, the course has affected the manner in which I discern truth from fact in accounts of history as well as in everyday, current information. Similarly, the course provided me with the ability to access a deeper level of empathy by allowing me to expand my understanding in immersing me in the situation in different roles, both in a historical milieu as well as from the view of other people such as my peers. Although the experiences that I had as a result of the material in the course, and their subsequent effects, are intangible, the few changes that consequently affected me have materialized in academic and personal facets of my life.
My perception of history has been influenced somewhat by the lessons of this course. That history was riddled with bias, I was aware, but the curriculum of this course in many ways made clear the potential to skew historical evidence in favor of bias one way or another. One such example was the worksheet that we looked at briefly one day that had copies of distorted scientific data and studies that supported the belief of the inferiority of the African race. Such bias was obviously also in place in many examples of Nazi propaganda in which the image of the Jewish people was greatly misused and misrepresented for the purpose of propagandizing. I understand that history is not a linear storybook, rather it is a complicated web of interactions, causes and results, consequences, and it is complicatedly and intricately woven. No piece of historical fact can exist on its own; nearly all of history is connected by being caused or sparked by an event or causing its own subsequent event. This is also true of people in general, they cannot be viewed out of their context; they also are intricately tied and interwoven into other people’s lives and have influence over and are influenced by others. History is not a simple retelling of facts often, because such a version of history without any bias is truly impossible, but I am aware of this and can view historical events in their context and analyze them as such, and the course has also allowed me to recognize that people similarly cannot stand completely alone, but that they are as interconnected to others as history is.
The course has also heightened by awareness of the difference between fact and falsehood, in the bias of history and also daily information. Notwithstanding the complexity and effort required in the search for truth and discernment of fact from fabrications and distortions, the quest is entirely necessary and worthwhile, because it saves us from ignorance and misinformation. Again, the bias in the field of history is nearly insurmountable, but it is not entirely impossible to navigate. There were many discussions in class where it was necessary to decide which statements were facts and which were based more upon opinion, and though all statements were of course relevant and valid in the discussion, the ones that were based upon tested and proven scientific fact had more historical and intellectual merit. It requires effort and hard-work in the name of historical accuracy, but it truly does make you a better informed intellectual, as well as make you aware of the bias in today’s slew of information. Just as in the lessons of history that this course touched upon, like the ignorance of a very large portion of the German people to the atrocities of the concentration camps, not all of the information that people absorb today should be taken strictly as fact, but intense research and discussion can ultimately lead to the truth. From social rumors to political and economic misinformation can grow massive crises and catastrophes, and as such, the truth must prevail over all mendacity. Even in our current society, we should take the approach to information that the course depicts as the method by which students should discern historical fact, and by dedication and determination, the truth can be soused-out.
The deepening empathy that I gained as a result of the data to which I was exposed in the class came as a result of the ability I acquired from the situations presented and the roles that we explored in class and through various situations, which have given me increased empathy in terms of viewing historical figures and events as well as other people. In exploring the roles of perpetrator, victim, and bystander, it is greatly more enriching in forming opinions and comprehensive in the understanding of history as a whole. It is nearly impossible to discern the truth and recognize bias in historical context without the ability to view history from multiple viewpoints and the use this knowledge to form an opinion based on fact. This ability is also useful in everyday life, because empathy is integral to human interaction and relationship. It is similarly nearly impossible to understand people without recognizing the feelings or experiences of that person, or at least the reasoning behinds their feelings or view of ant particular situation. Some of the explorations that we did in class that put us in different roles benefited the experience of understanding and employing empathy. This deep understanding of empathy and the concepts of roles in society and events, especially the impact of the bystander, are achieved through much of the curriculum of this course. The course has opened by perception of empathy in both a historical and personal context.
The importance of such a course is in the curriculum that transcends academia and affects even my personal life. My understanding and comprehensive view of history has been much affected by this course, and it also allowed me to alter my view of all events and of all people in relation to their interconnected. Also, I have been able to better discern between fact and fiction, because I can better understand the work necessary to understand or compile a comprehensive collection of concepts. Similarly, the course has, in some ways, allowed me to better empathize with people of history and of our modern world since I have learned of the importance and influence of the roles of people in society and in reference to historical events. The influence of this course has permeated into both the academic and personal or social realms of my life.