If you could erase one event from history, what would it be?
“The darkest chapter of history began with a simple thought: some lives matter less than others.”
If I could erase just one event from history, I wouldn’t choose a war, a political decision, or a natural disaster.
I would erase the first moment when humans decided that some lives were worth less than others.
Because perhaps that is where so many tragedies begin.
One belief leads to another.
They are different from us.
They don’t deserve the same rights.
Their suffering doesn’t matter.
And slowly, prejudice becomes hatred, hatred becomes cruelty, and cruelty finds a place in history books.
Of course, we cannot erase the past. And perhaps we shouldn’t. History, even its darkest chapters, has something to teach us.
But if I could erase one thing, I would erase the idea that another human being is somehow less human than we are.
Imagine what our history might look like if that idea had never existed.
Maybe that is the event worth erasing not from the books, but from the human heart.
6 responses to “If I Could Erase One Event from History…”
Imagine!! If the idea was erased, what would our history look like? I can’t even inagine. But one thing I know is our schools would have a lot of trouble setting their syllabus for the social sciences.
That big book which taught us from a very young age to learn by rote events that corrupted and destroyed humanity wouldn’t exist. Those hours and hours of classes where the differences were reinstated and reinforced into our minds wouldn’t exist. The entire charade of I vs them wouldn’t exist. Wonder what kind if world that would be? Humanity by definition would mean something totally different from what we think of it as.
I loved… Absolutely LOVED this take of yours! Bravo!!
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Thank you so much! ❤️ I absolutely loved your perspective too. And yes, imagining a world without that “us vs. them” mindset is both fascinating and humbling. Maybe that’s the real thought experiment. what would humanity look like if we had learned unity before division? 😊
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Perhaps our wires got crossed: Humans are genetically hardwired to compete. Where we got lost was failing to understand that competition requires cooperation, not domination.
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That’s such an interesting angle to bring here! It makes me wonder what moment you’re thinking of . was it a turning point where competition tipped into domination instead of cooperation? Would love to hear more about what’s behind that thought. 😊
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In the neolithic age, humans lived primarily by the chalice instead of the blade. Centuries later, tribes expanded, mobility increased, and civilizations clashed. With that, two things happened: Seldom, good ideas out-competed bad ideas, and resources were properly traded and shared. Often, bad ideas out-competed good ideas, and what ensued was war, theft, and conquest.
During the neolithic age, love, childbirth, and the reverence of women were depicted in art. Afterward, spears and other types of weaponry received artful depictions, along with the conquering prince returning to the village with slaves in tow.
Unfortunately, for 10 thousand years, it was the latter scenario that overwhelmingly prevailed. We’re still a work in progress. We might need another thousand years or so to close the gap, but I’m a cockeyes optimist. 😊
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Such a great reminder of how far we’ve come and how much work we still have to do. Love your optimism!
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