--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History should not be left to the…" description: "\"History should not be left to the historians. Rather, be like Churchill. Make history, and then write it.\" — Ferdinand Marcos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/ferdinand-marcos-10352_historians_history-should-not-be-left-to-the-histor_2912738.jpg" --- # History should not be left to the historians. Rather, be… ![“History should not be left to the historians. Rather, be like Churchill. Make history, and then write it.” quote by Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/ferdinand-marcos-10352_historians_history-should-not-be-left-to-the-histor_2912738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/ferdinand-marcos-10352_historians_history-should-not-be-left-to-the-histor_2912738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/ferdinand-marcos-10352_historians_history-should-not-be-left-to-the-histor_2912738.jpg) > “History should not be left to the historians. Rather, be like Churchill. Make history, and then write it.” [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages individuals to actively shape events rather than merely record them, urging bold, proactive legacy creation. **In simple terms:** Be proactive in making history. Key Takeaway Take bold actions, then document them. Themes initiative legacy agency history empowerment Mood determined ambitious Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - political leadership - social movements - personal career decisions - community activism Key Concepts self-determination historical agency personal impact Questions to Reflect On - How can you influence your field today? - What responsibilities come with shaping narratives? A Different Perspective May overlook collaborative contributions; risk of self‑aggrandizement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-left-2147051/) [History Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-write-1026199/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-churchill-1242114/) [Make history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-history/) [Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rather/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [The main thing is to make history, not to write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-main-thing-is-to-make-history-not-to-write-it/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [History is simply a piece of paper covered with print: the main thing is to make history, not to write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/history-is-simply-a-piece-of-paper-covered-with-print-the-main-thing/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [H. G. Wells was not the only one to mention Churchill and Hitler in the same breath: "Churchill and Hitler are striving to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/h-g-wells-was-not-the-only-one-to-mention-churchill-and-hitler-in-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Biographer diagnoses reaction to restriction as a tell of true character. Some use even prison as a time of reflection and planning. Others, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-raymond-manchester/biographer-diagnoses-reaction-to-restriction-as-a-tell-of-true/) [William Raymond Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-raymond-manchester/) > [“I am designing the future on beer mats, like Churchill and Stalin at Yalta.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-am-designing-the-future-on-beer-mats-like-churchill-and-stalin-at/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Sexy ain't guys like Churchill and Lincoln.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-cavuto/sexy-ain-t-guys-like-churchill-and-lincoln/) [Neil Cavuto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-cavuto/) > [“They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done. They left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/they-did-what-human-beings-looking-for-freedom-throughout-history/) [Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/) > [All other forms of history - economic history, social history, psychological history, above all sociology - seem to me history with the history left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/all-other-forms-of-history-economic-history-social-history/) [A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/) > [Historic figures have homes to visit for posterity; the Lord of history left no home. Luminaries leave libraries and write their memoirs; He left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/historic-figures-have-homes-to-visit-for-posterity-the-lord-of/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [I don't have space to enter into the examples or the history of this, so I'm left with having to make the bold statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-don-t-have-space-to-enter-into-the-examples-or-the-history-of-this/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > ['History Is All You Left Me' is about the loss of your first love and how you move on beyond that and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/history-is-all-you-left-me-is-about-the-loss-of-your-first-love-and/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [I am not one who, to quote an American author, believes that democracy and enterprise have finally won the battle of ideas - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-am-not-one-who-to-quote-an-american-author-believes-that-democracy/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [We are the only class in history that has been left to fight its battles alone, unaided by the ruling powers. White labor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/we-are-the-only-class-in-history-that-has-been-left-to-fight-its/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [So much history, if you or I were to write it, could seem a fiction. These separations, these lines that tell us this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/so-much-history-if-you-or-i-were-to-write-it-could-seem-a-fiction/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [What makes a good writer of history is a guy who is suspicious. Suspicion marks the real difference between the man who wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bishop/what-makes-a-good-writer-of-history-is-a-guy-who-is-suspicious/) [Jim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bishop/) ## More by Ferdinand Marcos > [I am not afraid to go to jail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/i-am-not-afraid-to-go-to-jail/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [President Reagan has no enemies in the Phillipines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/president-reagan-has-no-enemies-in-the-phillipines/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [Let us not be so naive as to think that revolution is just a matter of social or economic discontent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/let-us-not-be-so-naive-as-to-think-that-revolution-is-just-a-matter/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [The one indisputable reality of dictatorship is that dissent, insult, and malevolent language do not go unpunished if it is allowed at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/the-one-indisputable-reality-of-dictatorship-is-that-dissent-insult/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [The challenge to Asia is to discard the dry, meatless bone of mysticism and fatalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/the-challenge-to-asia-is-to-discard-the-dry-meatless-bone-of/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [The challenge to America is to extend to Asia the defensive shield of American power in forms consonant with Asian freedom and self-respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/the-challenge-to-america-is-to-extend-to-asia-the-defensive-shield-of/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [I can understand the Cultural Revolution of Mao Tse-tung.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/i-can-understand-the-cultural-revolution-of-mao-tse-tung/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [Once a champion, always a champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/once-a-champion-always-a-champion/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [My countrymen: we have reached a turning point in our history. The choice is yours. Shall we venture into this brave new world, bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/my-countrymen-we-have-reached-a-turning-point-in-our-history-the/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [I often wonder what I will be remembered in history for. Scholar? Military hero? Builder?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/i-often-wonder-what-i-will-be-remembered-in-history-for-scholar/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [Of what good is democracy if it is not for the poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/of-what-good-is-democracy-if-it-is-not-for-the-poor/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [Nobody is impervious to misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/nobody-is-impervious-to-misfortune/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [We love your adherence to democratic principles and to democratic processes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/we-love-your-adherence-to-democratic-principles-and-to-democratic/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [It is not true that I dictate what should be done. There is a dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/it-is-not-true-that-i-dictate-what-should-be-done-there-is-a-dialogue/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [For us, overseas employment addresses two major problems: unemployment and the balance of payments position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/for-us-overseas-employment-addresses-two-major-problems-unemployment/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) [Explore all 66 Ferdinand Marcos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) ## More Historians quotes > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [In history as it comes to be written, there is usually some Spirit of the Age which historians can define, but the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/in-history-as-it-comes-to-be-written-there-is-usually-some-spirit-of/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [“I know quite well why I became a historian… It was because dissension was frowned upon when I was a child: 'Don't argue, Claudia,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/i-know-quite-well-why-i-became-a-historian-it-was-because-dissension/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [“So it appears to me, for when he could and should have wielded his pen to praise the virtues of so good a knight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/so-it-appears-to-me-for-when-he-could-and-should-have-wielded-his-pen/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [Since history has no properly scientific value, its only purpose is educative. And if historians neglect to educate the public, if they fail to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-m-trevelyan/since-history-has-no-properly-scientific-value-its-only-purpose-is/) [G. M. Trevelyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-m-trevelyan/) > [Well goodness knows, goodness knows what historians will write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-downer/well-goodness-knows-goodness-knows-what-historians-will-write/) [Alexander Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-downer/) > [The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do it that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the-historians-is-that-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ I have learned more \[from Balzac\] than from all the professional historians, economists, and statisticians put together. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/i-have-learned-more-from-balzac-than-from-all-the-professional/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“An ambitious freshman congresswoman demanded funding to put a public historian in every zip code in the country, a correction for what she called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-evans/an-ambitious-freshman-congresswoman-demanded-funding-to-put-a-public/) [Danielle Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-evans/) > [The simplest things to see are the things we are most blind to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milliton-munney/the-simplest-things-to-see-are-the-things-we-are-most-blind-to/) [Milliton MUNNEY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milliton-munney/) > [The poets have familiarized more people with history than have the historians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/the-poets-have-familiarized-more-people-with-history-than-have-the/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [If you will protest courageously, and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-will-protest-courageously-and-yet-with-dignity-and-christian/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Geologists complain that when they want specimens of the common rocks of a country, they receive curious spars; just so, historians give us the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/geologists-complain-that-when-they-want-specimens-of-the-common-rocks/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [“The best moments in life are not the kind many historians record.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/the-best-moments-in-life-are-not-the-kind-many-historians-record/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) > [Fact-checking doesn't exist primarily because some of us are liars and cheats. It exists because writers will be writers, much as they may mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/fact-checking-doesn-t-exist-primarily-because-some-of-us-are-liars/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) [Browse all 357 Historians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History should not be left to the historians. Rather, be like Churchill. 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