American history, world history, and current affairs.

[RAZOR_BLADE]

I was once a youngling who took it on faith that history lessons taught in class were true and irrefutable. But to my dismay, after 12 years of being inside the institution, I learned that real knowledge is gained from personal research. Which leads me to the question, "How many of you feel that you've been duped?"

[mad_hatter]

every country/culture/government teaches the history they WANT their subjects to believe. what someone learns about a place or event in one country will be completely different from that in another. History serves a purpose and that purpose varies depending on who is telling the story.

I guess I don't see it as duping, it actually disturbs me more that so many people just accept what they're taught at face value instead of researching further.

[sSilentxstarzZ]

the US government made some horrible 'mistakes' over and over again. For those who trust our government completely, search up "Downwinders" and read up on the victims' stories.

[camb0dianguy]

When it comes to factual information, I like to do my own research and draw my own conclusions rather than just take the next persons' word for it. Even with the news and such, I would read like three or four different articles about the same subject just to compare and have a better understanding of whats being reported.

We're all humans and subject to making mistakes or exaggerations which is why I hold individuals in such high regards who's not afraid to say things like 'I'm not sure' or 'let me get back to you on that' rather than give you a quick, but wrong answer.

[Tev]

there are so many untruths we were taught from ancient to modern history. wool over the eyes of the next generations to come too.

[Lucas]

I guess everyone could become their own History Researcher then if it matters so much. Please don't tell me everyone puts their clues together through the internet?

[Tev]

documentaries on natgeo & history channel for the most part, are much much more insightful than $100 school history books that lie to our kids in school/college.

[sSilentxstarzZ]

documentaries, learned about some stuff through non-American history classes where they go into more details about certain events, internet, local news, watched interviews of victims' accounts. My grandmother's only sister was killed when an American bomb hit her home in Cambodia....learned about that through my dad.

[tuksuhew]

My 15 year old brother is in high school and in his history class, there was a section about Cambodia in his advanced history textbook. he told me the teacher didn't even bother teaching the class about it and it wasn't one of the requirements for the kids to read. they basically skipped the whole thing.

why print the subject in the textbooks but don't bother reading about it? and when i briefly went through his book, they never mentioned anything about the illegal B52 bombs dropped ion Cambodia. biased and deceptive indeed.

[khmeroldiez]

My 15 year old brother is in high school and in his history class, there was a section about Cambodia in his advanced history textbook. he told me the teacher didn't even bother teaching the class about it and it wasn't one of the requirements for the kids to read. they basically skipped the whole thing.

It's only required to learn about the country you're living in when in grade school History class.

[HollywoodJack]

Lately I've been reading back on history books for leisure, because the stories are interesting, regardless of whether or not the information is factual. Really, anything you learn about could be disproved or flawed, that doesn't mean you should resent any of the information you've learned thus far, 'cause at least you're that much more knowledgeable & can interpret the information yourself and gain your own perception of things.

If I hadn't read about Rome, I'd probably not understand/enjoy the tv show as much as I do now.

[Sovie]

I've always been a big fan of keeping up with current and historical events. I enjoyed learning about different views and perspectives. I don't think I've ever been duped because even if I have a stance on something, I'll always try to see it from the other side.

[LePrince]

WOW. This might not have much to do with this forum but I just went by the title of the forum But geez, check this out!! o_O

Removing Slavery from US history books o_O

[Garfield]

history is not just reading one thing and take that for an account. if youre a history major you would know this. there are many methodological classes that you suppose to take just to learn how to be a good historian. there are more to it than just reading texts from your local library or the internet. you actually have to do a lot of research from different perspective, even if it takes to read texts from other countries (this explains why many of my history professors speak more than one languages -_-). you should always be aware that every country want to shape their own history in their own way