“Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” –George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
I have been watching a lot of historical movies and documentaries lately. One observation I have of history films is that they are a reflection of the time period that it was made. For example, in a movie about the 1800s, women weren’t wearing gloves at a time in history when it was common for women to wear gloves. In this sense, we are controlling how we portray the past. Similarly, schools decide what students learn about our past when they decide what goes in our curricula and what books we are allowed to read.
Thus, where we are today is controlling where we will be in our future when we show the current generation our interpretation of the past. Something to think about when we create movies, stories, and lessons to educate the next generation.
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