The Humanities: A Shining Beacon

"All of us belong to the human race and should want to know as much as possible about the distinguished contributions of those who have gone before."

( Janaro & Altshuler, 2016, p.3)

As described by the text the importance of the study of humanities is as important as the history of the entire world. Without humanities the various cultures and peoples who make up this earth would have little or no understanding of each other or our values. By studying the past, today we can better understand how and why certain peoples other than ourselves hold the beliefs they do, and by doing so we can come to understand each other as humans better than ever before. I truly believe this is the only way that peace between nations and their peoples will ever truly be solidified.

"The resources of the humanities are unlimited, but all too often our wants are meager. In the economic world, we can’t always be rich by choice, but in the world of the humanities, we can be “poor” by choice."

( Janaro & Altshuler, 2016, p.5)

You have probably heard the phrase ," ignorance is bliss," at least once in your life and in certain circumstances it sounds like a good idea. However when it comes to diplomacy, discord, or in this case, humanities, its a terrible idea that has led to some of the most destructive wars and divisive moments in the history of the world. Without the ability to understand each other there is no hope for long term peace in this world. An example of this would be the cold war, where the east and the west had an ideological struggle over capitalism and communism. If we as a society could better understand different peoples, cultures, and ideology's, would there ever had been a cold war? Would the nuclear arms race that threatens world peace ever have happened? This is what you have to ask yourself if you think that ignorance is an acceptable way to conduct yourself and how you perceive different ideas other than your own.

"The infinite person does not jump to quick conclusions but looks at all sides of an issue before making a judgment, recognizes that no judgment is final, and is always willing to reconsider in the light of new data."

 ( Janaro & Altshuler, 2016, p.13)

The text explains Leonardo da Vinci's three advantages to becoming what he calls ," an infinite person," and the third part is the most important to me. He says that an infinite person does not make a hasty decision based purely on instinct or maybe by first appearance. These traits would make you a better person by understanding different peoples and cultures as well as give you an advantage at becoming simply a more rational person. A good example would be if you were to turn a corner late at night and you see a person standing over a dead body. Your fist instinct many be to run away or call the police but that may not be the right thing to do in the moment. The person you saw could have been defending himself from an attack or maybe just like you turned a corner to find the same thing that your seeing. In this example its important not to make a quick judgment even if your instincts tell you too do so. This idea can be applied to other aspects of your life and greatly improve your rationality and understanding of the world around you for the better.