--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good history is a question of survival…" description: "\"Good history is a question of survival. Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.\" — Ken Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/ken-burns-9897_defining_good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-w_6520.jpg" --- # Good history is a question of survival. Without any past… ![“Good history is a question of survival. Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.” quote by Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/ken-burns-9897_defining_good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-w_6520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/ken-burns-9897_defining_good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-w_6520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/ken-burns-9897_defining_good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-w_6520.jpg) > “Good history is a question of survival. Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.” [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History provides the narratives that shape identity; losing it erodes self‑understanding and continuity. **In simple terms:** History defines identity. Key Takeaway Preserve memory to know yourself. Themes identity continuity memory culture self‑knowledge Mood reflective nostalgic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - educational curricula - family storytelling - cultural heritage projects Key Concepts narrative collective memory Practical Applications - museum exhibit design - historical documentary production Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of our identity are most vulnerable without historical context? - How does collective memory influence present decisions? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Defining Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining-impression-316321/) [Good history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-history/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-question-316319/) [Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-past-316320/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We now enter a new age of American history, and the question to be answered is this: Will we restore the republic our forefathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-sol-invictus/we-now-enter-a-new-age-of-american-history-and-the-question-to-be/) [Augustus Sol Invictus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-sol-invictus/) > [I think I regard any history in quotes, because just like science, we're constantly revising science, we're constantly revising history. There's no question that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-think-i-regard-any-history-in-quotes-because-just-like-science-we-2/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/history-isn-t-really-about-the-past-settling-old-scores-it-s-about/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [I think we continually need to understand how important an event the war was - how defining, how central to who we are. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/i-think-we-continually-need-to-understand-how-important-an-event-the/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [The antidote to feel-good history is not feel-bad history but honest and inclusive history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/the-antidote-to-feel-good-history-is-not-feel-bad-history-but-honest/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [It feels good to be a part of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/it-feels-good-to-be-a-part-of-history/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [For almost half a century, Fermilab has occupied center stage as physicists have sought to understand the fundamental structure of the universe. The lab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/for-almost-half-a-century-fermilab-has-occupied-center-stage-as/) [James Trefil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-trefil/) > [We have good history in Virginia... and we have history that's not good and I don't think we can shy away from any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-northam/we-have-good-history-in-virginia-and-we-have-history-that-s-not-good/) [Ralph Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-northam/) > [A good history covers not only what was done, but the thought that went into the action. You can read the history of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-hooks/a-good-history-covers-not-only-what-was-done-but-the-thought-that/) [Benjamin Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-hooks/) > [War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/war-makes-rattling-good-history-but-peace-is-poor-reading/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Indeed the general natural Tendency of Reading good History, must be, to fix in the Minds of Youth deep Impressions of the Beauty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/indeed-the-general-natural-tendency-of-reading-good-history-must-be/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [There's a lot we should be able to learn from history. And yet history proves that we never do. In fact, the main lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-whitney-brown/there-s-a-lot-we-should-be-able-to-learn-from-history-and-yet-history/) [A. Whitney Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-whitney-brown/) > [“be a good history lesson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-mad-man/be-a-good-history-lesson/) [a mad man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-mad-man/) > [War makes rattling good history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/war-makes-rattling-good-history/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [The only good histories are those that have been written by the persons themselves who commanded in the affairs whereof they write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-only-good-histories-are-those-that-have-been-written-by-the/) [Michel De Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) ## More by Ken Burns > [Write: write letters. Keep journals. Besides your children, there is no surer way of achieving immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/write-write-letters-keep-journals-besides-your-children-there-is-no/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [By its very nature, no one person can ever be the center of Jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/by-its-very-nature-no-one-person-can-ever-be-the-center-of-jazz/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [The genius of our country is improvisation, and jazz reflects that. It's our great contribution to the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/the-genius-of-our-country-is-improvisation-and-jazz-reflects-that-it/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [The reason why you do history, and particularly why you do war, is that you want to make sure that in the next war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/the-reason-why-you-do-history-and-particularly-why-you-do-war-is-that/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [In a sense I've made the same film over and over again. In all of them I've asked, 'Who are we as Americans?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/in-a-sense-i-ve-made-the-same-film-over-and-over-again-in-all-of-them/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [I think we too often make choices based on the safety of cynicism, and what we're lead to is a life not fully lived.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/i-think-we-too-often-make-choices-based-on-the-safety-of-cynicism-and/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [Louis Armstrong is quite simply the most important person in American music. He is to 20th century music (I did not say jazz) what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/louis-armstrong-is-quite-simply-the-most-important-person-in-american/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [People tend to forget that the word "history" contains the word "story".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/people-tend-to-forget-that-the-word-history-contains-the-word-story/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/history-isn-t-really-about-the-past-settling-old-scores-it-s-about/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [We strain to listen to the ghosts and echoes of our inexpressibly wise past, and we have an obligation to maintain these places, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/we-strain-to-listen-to-the-ghosts-and-echoes-of-our-inexpressibly/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime and ending with the hard facts of autumn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/it-follows-the-seasons-beginning-each-year-with-the-fond-expectancy/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [“Jackie Robinson stole home and he's safe."...Nobody could hurt him again. He wouldn't hear the name-calling. He would only hear the cheers and somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/jackie-robinson-stole-home-and-he-s-safe-nobody-could-hurt-him-again/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [I can understand why some of these drummers and bass players become cult figures with all of their equipment and the incredible amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/i-can-understand-why-some-of-these-drummers-and-bass-players-become/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [You know, you meet some people, and do a lot of interviews, and you come across a Buck O'Neill and you know you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/you-know-you-meet-some-people-and-do-a-lot-of-interviews-and-you-come/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [History is malleable. A new cache of diaries can shed new light, and archeological evidence can challenge our popular assumptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/history-is-malleable-a-new-cache-of-diaries-can-shed-new-light-and/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) [Explore all 69 Ken Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) ## More Defining quotes > [One defining symptom of decadence is a fondness for vast and nonsensical extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-silverberg/one-defining-symptom-of-decadence-is-a-fondness-for-vast-and/) [Robert Silverberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-silverberg/) > [ I never left my roots. You can identify me as someone that didn't become high and mighty. Humility is a defining \[trait\] all of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-never-left-my-roots-you-can-identify-me-as-someone-that-didn-t/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [I think the word 'soul' - it depends on what you define by 'soul.' If you're defining it as a mystical aura that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/i-think-the-word-soul-it-depends-on-what-you-define-by-soul-if-you-re/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) > [“There are no defining moments. There are only your moments to define.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-dowd/there-are-no-defining-moments-there-are-only-your-moments-to-define/) [Thomas B Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-dowd/) > [My journey has been a long one and has still got a long way to go. I think we are so used to defining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/my-journey-has-been-a-long-one-and-has-still-got-a-long-way-to-go-i/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [“Defining the Renaissance Man “A man can do all that he will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-griffiths-and-eric-elfman/defining-the-renaissance-man-a-man-can-do-all-that-he-will/) [Scott Griffiths and Eric Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-griffiths-and-eric-elfman/) > [The defining aspects of westerns are still pretty much in place - namely landscape and conflict. In other books the conflict can be internal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/the-defining-aspects-of-westerns-are-still-pretty-much-in-place/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world and how we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/our-concepts-structure-what-we-perceive-how-we-get-around-in-the/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [It's imprecise and insufficient, defining the homosexual as a person whose gender expression is at odds with his or her sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/it-s-imprecise-and-insufficient-defining-the-homosexual-as-a-person/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [Modern societies accepted the treasures and the power offered them by science. But they have not accepted - they have scarcely even heard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/modern-societies-accepted-the-treasures-and-the-power-offered-them-by/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [I met people on college campuses who were defining themselves as genderqueer to express revolutionary feelings, or to communicate their individuality; they were gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-met-people-on-college-campuses-who-were-defining-themselves-as/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [Using less of the Earth’s resources more efficiently and productively in a circular economy and making the transition from carbon-based fuels to renewable energies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/using-less-of-the-earth-s-resources-more-efficiently-and-productively/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [Autonomy means women defining themselves and the values by which they will live, and beginning to think of institutional arrangements which will order their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerda-lerner/autonomy-means-women-defining-themselves-and-the-values-by-which-they/) [Gerda Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerda-lerner/) > [I think TARP was the most defining vote since I've been in Congress. 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