If you had the misfortune to do too much of it at school, you’ll probably remember one

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thing about history: just how boring it can be.
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You might harbour painful memories of the 100 Years War, the War of Spanish
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Succession, Crop Rotation in the Middle Ages or - heaven forbid - the good
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deeds of Florence Nightingale.
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As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising if - nowadays - you tended to steer well clear of the whole topic.
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But that would be a pity. The real reason why history is so boring is that we’re not
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clear about what it should be for.
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Here’s the big reason why history matters: it matters because it can provide us with
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solutions to many of the problems of the present.
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At its best, history is there to introduce us to some of the things we need but that
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aren’t sufficiently visible in the world today.
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As a society, we’re very obsessed by what we’re up to right now.
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Unknowingly, we’re hugely biased towards the present. The news - which is about the
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most prestigious force in the world today - circles obsessively around some of the things
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that have happened in the last five minutes
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and yet, many of the most important things that we need to nourish, sustain and inspire us
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are a lot older.
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What we nowadays need above all else are GOOD IDEAS
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and history is full of them. Imagine you’re dissatisfied with aspects
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of contemporary Capitalism. It might help hugely to read
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about the HISTORY of the Levellers, a group of English radicals writing and acting between
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1645 and 1650. Or if you question what the point of going
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on holiday is, you might dramatically enrich your thoughts by considering the HISTORY of
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pilgrimage, especially the motives which people had for trekking off
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to visit distant shrines.
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History teaches us that THINGS CAN CHANGE.
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People haven’t always been as they are now: materialistic and work obsessed.
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unable to build nice architecture, over-concered with being “connected”
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or hung up on being absurdly thin
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There’s an annoying saying that goes: THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.
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But that’s suggesting the only thing history is full of is mistakes.
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Yet it's as fair to say, those who don't know history
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won't be able to IMPROVE the present.
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History can also teach us COURAGE. It’s easy to feel, when you’re pressed up against
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the present, that things are exceptionally awful right now
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but they rarely are, once you open the lens wide enough.
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The present isn't unusual in its levels of mediocrity and compromise. Once you read the
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letters, the old guys were just as bad. And though our challenges
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are of course great, they aren’t exceptional - when compared with say, those facing the
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survivors of the sack of Rome or the Lisbon earthquake.
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History ends up as a tool for the APPRECIATION of some of our advantages which is easy to miss.
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It can teach us to judge our society against other societies rather than against
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our ideals. Of course the European Union has problems, but the Habsburg Empire
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had them too and many more. Our governments are deeply imperfect, but there have been worse.
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Traffic is terrible, but so was the siege of Leningrad.
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History can console.
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Getting clearer about what history is for should change how the subject is taught. In
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the future, we should treat history a little like a doctor treats a medicine cabinet.
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Before diving into history, we’d first have to work out what was wrong with us, what we
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were lacking in the here and now. We be might diagnosed for a lack of courage, or a spoilt
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nature or a hesitation about whether to marry. And we should be prescribed history accordingly
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For their part, historians themselves should get clearer about what problems in the present
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they’re trying to solve. They should explicitly aim to tell us things about the past that
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can help us with issues of today. Not the past for its sake, but the past for our sakes.
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Good history should always mean: history with solutions or consolations for today.
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Now that could be interesting…
Now, based on what the video was saying, What's the main Idea of this Video, what's the key Ideas? and find vocabulary of this video?

Answer 1

Main Idea:

The video argues that history is often perceived as boring because it is traditionally taught in a way that lacks relevance to the present. However, history is valuable because it can provide insights and solutions to contemporary problems, teach us about change, instill courage, and offer perspectives that lead to appreciation of our current advantages. The video suggests that history should be taught as a practical tool with a focus on its relevance to modern issues.

Key Ideas:

1. Boredom with History: Many people find history boring due to unengaging topics and a lack of connection to contemporary issues.

2. Importance of History: History offers valuable ideas and solutions that can address current societal problems.

3. Awareness of Change: History shows that societies can evolve and that current issues are often not unique.

4. Learning from the Past: Understanding history helps us avoid past mistakes and can inspire improvements in the present.

5. Perspective and Appreciation: By comparing modern challenges to those faced in the past, we can gain a more balanced view and appreciation of our current situation.

6. Practical Application of History: History should be taught with the intention of addressing specific contemporary issues, much like a doctor prescribes medicine based on a diagnosis.

Vocabulary:

1. Dissatisfied: Unhappy or unsatisfied with something.
2. Radicals: Individuals advocating for thorough or complete social or political reform.
3. Materialistic: Prioritizing material possessions and physical comfort over spiritual or intellectual values.
4. Mediocrity: The quality of being mediocre; average or ordinary.
5. Consolation: Comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment.
6. Diagnosis: The identification of the nature of an illness or problem.
7. Prescribe: To recommend, especially in a medical context; to suggest a treatment.

These concepts and vocabulary highlight the video’s emphasis on the practical and enlightening roles history can play in our lives today.