--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And what is called history at school, and…" description: "\"And what is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is all nothing but a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/hermann-hesse-130_children_and-what-is-called-history-at-school-and_733554.png" --- # And what is called history at school, and all we learn by… ![“And what is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is all nothing but a swindle invented by the schoolmasters for educational reasons to keep children occupied for a given number of years. It has always been so and…” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/hermann-hesse-130_children_and-what-is-called-history-at-school-and_733554.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/hermann-hesse-130_children_and-what-is-called-history-at-school-and_733554.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/hermann-hesse-130_children_and-what-is-called-history-at-school-and_733554.png) > “And what is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is all nothing but a swindle invented by the schoolmasters for educational reasons to keep children occupied for a given number of years. It has always been so and always will be.” [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History taught in schools is a curated narrative that simplifies complex realities for educational purposes. **In simple terms:** School history simplifies complex events. Key Takeaway Question taught narratives. Themes education history critical thinking Mood skeptical reflective Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - classroom lessons - public discourse - media consumption Key Concepts narrative construction power structures Questions to Reflect On - What alternative sources can reveal fuller histories? - How does this view affect your trust in education? A Different Perspective Simplification can obscure truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [“What is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/what-is-called-history-at-school-and-all-we-learn-by-heart-there/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [No individual and no generation has had enough personal experience to ignore the vast experience of the human race that is called history. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/no-individual-and-no-generation-has-had-enough-personal-experience-to/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I am ashamed to see what a shallow village tale our so-called history is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-ashamed-to-see-what-a-shallow-village-tale-our-so-called-history-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The Register of Knowledge of Fact is called History .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-register-of-knowledge-of-fact-is-called-history/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Most of the mess that is called history comes about because kings and presidents cannot be satisfied with a nice chicken and a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/most-of-the-mess-that-is-called-history-comes-about-because-kings-and/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [I am ashamed to see what a shallow village tale our so-called History is. How many times must we say Rome, and Paris, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-ashamed-to-see-what-a-shallow-village-tale-our-so-called-history/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I think that every so-called history book and film biography should be prefaced by the statement that what follows is the author's rendition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kruger/i-think-that-every-so-called-history-book-and-film-biography-should/) [Barbara Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kruger/) > [“Not everything in your past qualifies to be called HISTORY; only the things in the past that shaped your FUTURE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/not-everything-in-your-past-qualifies-to-be-called-history-only-the/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [That great dust-heap called 'history'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/that-great-dust-heap-called-history/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [What happened today is an event, tomorrow it becomes story while it is called history for future reference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-olukwu-nwole/what-happened-today-is-an-event-tomorrow-it-becomes-story-while-it-is/) [Emmanuel Olukwu Nwole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-olukwu-nwole/) > [“When the thing that emerged from the collision of sex and freedom, called love, collided with the thing that emerged from the collision of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/when-the-thing-that-emerged-from-the-collision-of-sex-and-freedom/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [In life you have to rely on the past, and that's called history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-life-you-have-to-rely-on-the-past-and-that-s-called-history/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I enjoyed history at school. I'd always had a sense of pagan England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-albarn/i-enjoyed-history-at-school-i-d-always-had-a-sense-of-pagan-england/) [Damon Albarn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-albarn/) > [I don't think it's such a bad idea that people learn the same history in school. I think it tends to ground people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-don-t-think-it-s-such-a-bad-idea-that-people-learn-the-same-history/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I knew nothing of American History because I didn't pay attention to American History in school. Because I did not see myself in American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okieriete-onaodowan/i-knew-nothing-of-american-history-because-i-didn-t-pay-attention-to/) [Okieriete Onaodowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okieriete-onaodowan/) ## More by Hermann Hesse > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. 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Death looks through the window and laughs..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-is-useless-for-you-to-build-walls-and-dormitories-and-chapels-and/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“When the world is at peace, when all things are tranquil and all men obey their superiors in all their courses, then music can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/when-the-world-is-at-peace-when-all-things-are-tranquil-and-all-men/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A mere nothing suffices — and the lightning strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-mere-nothing-suffices-and-the-lightning-strikes/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“And if time is not real, then the dividing line that seems to lie between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-if-time-is-not-real-then-the-dividing-line-that-seems-to-lie/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Beautiful was this world, looking at it thus, without searching, thus simply, thus childlike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/beautiful-was-this-world-looking-at-it-thus-without-searching-thus/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Were not the gods forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/were-not-the-gods-forms-created-like-me-and-you-mortal-transient/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) [Explore all 951 Hermann Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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