Judging Ancestors: The Distortions of Hindsight (A Cannibal Story)
An earlier edition of this post appeared in my blog, The Golden Egg Genealogist, in April 2019. Genohistorians are encouraged to see the link to our discussions of “the now of then” in recent posts. A “Call to Action” and “Zotero Notes” have been added to the original post.
Hindsight will never be 20/20. The further back we look, the fuzzier the view gets. In looking back past our own personal experience—that journey we call “studying history”—we become strangers in a foreign land. Observing what we see there can be immensely valuable. Evaluating the effectiveness of our ancestors’ choices can enhance wisdom. Morally judging ancestors through the eyes of the 21st century, however, is a destructive misuse of hindsight.
…Judging Ancestors: The Distortions of Hindsight (A Cannibal Story)Read More »
Judging Ancestors: The Distortions of Hindsight (A Cannibal Story) Read More »
