Tuesday, September 11, 2018

History Repeats Itself

History repeats itself. What a spooky phrase. When I hear that phrase I picture an old crotchety man who has enough wrinkles to rival my clean laundry pile that's taken up a permanent residence in the corner of my room. His skin is leathery and his hair is sparse and white. It all feels a bit cinematic. But I think there is an element of truth to it. History, in some aspects, tends to repeat itself. For example, let's take fashion. 80s high waisted mom jeans, 90s chokers, ripped jeans, tie dye, bell bottom pants, crop tops, overalls, platform shoes and etc. Have been in style and then out of style and then back in again. It seems like a cycle, or as Pocahontas says, "a circle, in a hoop that never ends." And honestly, I'm totally into those hoops.

When I hear the word renaissance, i think of the word "rebirth" I think of artists getting more artsy and philosophers getting more philosophical. But there was so much more to the renaissance than that. I think my favorite part of the renisannace, and the part that sounded the most familiar to me was the focus on humanism. People began to focus on the individual and started to value one in it's fullness. The perspective changed from viewing people to be like cogs in some machine, to the perspective that each person has great meaning and each life is valuable. The renaissance also started a trend of transitioning away from organized religion and into more secular topics. Poetry, history, rhetoric and other topics became of great importance and religion slipped from priority, to somewhere behind. If you aren't seeing the connection yet I'll bring it into focus. History at times repeats itself. Today there is a big focus on humanism, all you have to do is scroll through pinterest to see it. I also think people are leaning further and further away from religion. I believe we are on the cusp of another renaissance of sorts...what do you think?

3 comments:

  1. I agree with your stance, Lily, that history does in fact repeat itself. I had never thought about the fact that we could potentially be entering another renaissance of sorts, but I definitely have seen a decline in religion and a large focus on secularism.

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  2. I totally agree with your position. I recently read the biography of Alexander Hamilton and many of the problems and divisions that occurred in early America mirror, in part, the current environment. The more I have looked into history the more I've seen that people have a tendency to repeat both mistakes and successes.

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  3. Your comment is brimming with voice! Very captivating, rhetorically, though I think some specific names and examples would drive the point home. In response to your question (another great tool for an impactful blogpost), I believe that every generation feels this way. That is, the youth/younger crowd of every generation do things which move and shake the society in which they live. For example, I think of the legalization of gay marriage and recent protests against racial discrimination. During the '70s, feminist and anti-war protests took the hot seat. In short, aren't we all seeking to create a Renaissance?

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