Throughout the human experience people have read history because they felt that it was a pleasure and that it was in some way instructive. The profession of professor of history has taken it in a very different direction.
Donald KaganRead
War has been more common than peace, and extended periods of peace have been rare in a world divided into multiple states
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the historical prevalence of war over peace among divided nations.
Donald Kagan highlights the unfortunate reality of human history where war is more frequent than peace, suggesting that sustained periods of tranquility are uncommon in a world fractured along political and territorial lines. This observation urges us to reflect on the nature of international relations and the challenges of achieving lasting peace amidst longstanding divisions.
Themes
WarPeaceHistoryConflictDivided Nations
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of diplomacy.
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I can see that you are a true historian because you really always ought to ask that question about anybody at a different place or a different time: What's the same and what's different?
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