The somewhat wise, other parts controversial Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”
Consider this: a collection of moments make up the personal experiences of the individual, and that collection is a linear track of your life. Every action you take and every action you don’t is all recorded in the narrative you have woven for yourself.
When in a courtroom, it is the judge’s position to hear both sides of a story. It is a difficult role, being the weigher of truth. Sometimes people can hold opposing experiences from the same situation. Neither being falsified, neither being the entirety of the story. This begs the question, are all accounts considered fictional if the truth is subjective?
Though I believe so, I do not mean to imply being fictional is equivalent to being insincere. It is impossible to negate that accounts of history are not neutral. Each story is written by someone whose life has shaped their morals and ideals. History is then, in turn, written with these biases implemented within the writing, even if it is subliminal.
Historiography is the idea that history, as a story, reflects the ideas and beliefs of the storyteller. It is the examination of historical events, as well as the traits that shape how we record them. The most basic definition given is simply the writing of history.
An argument against history being fictional is that the word is often synonymous with terms such as “imaginary” or “make-believe,” which are two things most would not associate with truthful accounts of the past. Then again, fictional is also the same as saying something is “fabricated” or “forged.” Something that is created.
Is history not created? Every instance written down was a moment that was formed by a choice. The narrative we read about is the recollections of people before us. Our story is a continuation of where we have been and where we will go.
People need to recognize that their perception of the world may not align with the perceptions of others. We tend to write off our friends and acquaintances as side characters. People who are meant to support our goals and our dreams. Life, however, is not only our story. It is an entire library filled to the brim with traumas, epic loves and aspirations of the whole of humanity.
Have you ever thought of that before; life is a library? Some programs exist where people can “checkout” others for a day, just to listen to what they have gone through. This is an interesting concept to me, but when thinking about it more, it makes up a lot of the occupations that people devote their energy to.
For instance, what do teachers do? Instructionally, they assist students in developing academic and social skills, but they also are responsible for showing children that they can pursue their dreams. The legacy they will leave will personally impact the students they interact with. A teacher has the power to mark a turning point for a kid and to make them believe they can accomplish anything. Spin a new narrative.
Then again, this is coming from an aspiring English teacher. So perhaps you are reading my biases. But it is more than just jobs in the humanities. Tell me, what is the job of the scientist?
Scientists seek to understand and to gain knowledge. Their mission is to find the buried truths of the world. They are responsible for creating the pathways towards a new and brighter future. Their legacy – the discoveries they make – will have a lasting impact on the world around them. They write the narrative of progress and advancement.
What we leave behind, our histories, are reminders to those in the present of what we can accomplish, innovate and destroy. We record what we want to be remembered, thereby weaving together a tapestry of our best and worst moments. Our truths are only our versions of the tale. To form a full understanding, we must see from multiple perspectives.
So, tell me then, the legacy you leave behind, your mark in history and history itself,
Would it not be a story?
Dakota Brown can be reached at [email protected]