--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even so, I think historians have more to…" description: "\"“Even so, I think historians have more to offer than perspective on our present woes. The foreign country we call the past also lets us look beyond the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/rutger-bregman-2463_foreign-country_even-so-i-think-historians-have-more-to_3219641.jpg" --- # Even so, I think historians have more to offer than… ![“Even so, I think historians have more to offer than perspective on our present woes. The foreign country we call the past also lets us look beyond the horizons of what is, to see what could be.” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/rutger-bregman-2463_foreign-country_even-so-i-think-historians-have-more-to_3219641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/rutger-bregman-2463_foreign-country_even-so-i-think-historians-have-more-to_3219641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/rutger-bregman-2463_foreign-country_even-so-i-think-historians-have-more-to_3219641.jpg) > ““Even so, I think historians have more to offer than perspective on our present woes. The foreign country we call the past also lets us look beyond the horizons of what is, to see what could be.”” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## 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 perspective that helps us see beyond current problems to possible futures. **In simple terms:** History offers broader view beyond today. Key Takeaway Study past to inform future choices. Themes history perspective future learning context Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - policy making - education - personal growth - strategic planning - cultural understanding Key Concepts historical analysis critical thinking foresight Questions to Reflect On - What past events most influence today’s issues? - How can we avoid misreading history? A Different Perspective History can be interpreted differently; not all lessons apply. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-past-3425368/) [Foreign country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-country/) [Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) [Historians Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians-offer-6047676/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Perspective Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective-present-800197/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Think Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-historians-566300/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I think certain periods of history don't get dealt with because I think historians, and it's their job, but they look back and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-think-certain-periods-of-history-don-t-get-dealt-with-because-i/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Where I think historians can help preserve and actually restore democracy is to remind us of how we got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/where-i-think-historians-can-help-preserve-and-actually-restore/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [I think what we should do as historians is understand. 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I've driven cross-country the past few summers, and I would stop at some ghost towns along the way. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hong-chau/i-m-really-into-ghost-towns-i-ve-driven-cross-country-the-past-few/) [Hong Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hong-chau/) > [I understand that Italy could have been associated with the idea of an undisciplined country in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-monti/i-understand-that-italy-could-have-been-associated-with-the-idea-of/) [Mario Monti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-monti/) > [For a country without a past is nothing, a word That, hardly spoken, loses its meaning, A perishable wall destroyed by flame, An echo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czeslaw-milosz/for-a-country-without-a-past-is-nothing-a-word-that-hardly-spoken/) [Czeslaw Milosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czeslaw-milosz/) > [We meet ourselves at every turn In the long country of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-muir/we-meet-ourselves-at-every-turn-in-the-long-country-of-the-past/) [Edwin Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-muir/) > [If you think about the future, you lose perspective of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/if-you-think-about-the-future-you-lose-perspective-of-the-present/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [In 'The Plato Papers' I wanted to get another perspective on the present moment by extrapolating into the distant future. So in that sense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/in-the-plato-papers-i-wanted-to-get-another-perspective-on-the/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [“Appreciation involves being alert to the positive aspects of the current situation and feeling thankful for what one has and for one's circumstances. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-l-schneider/appreciation-involves-being-alert-to-the-positive-aspects-of-the/) [Sandra L. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-l-schneider/) > [As I look back at the entire tapestry of my life, I can see from the perspective of the present moment that every aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/as-i-look-back-at-the-entire-tapestry-of-my-life-i-can-see-from-the/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Without understanding your history, you can't get a perspective about the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-duke/without-understanding-your-history-you-can-t-get-a-perspective-about/) [Bill Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-duke/) > [One gains a double benefit in writing about the past, conjuring up how things might have been, and at the same time acquiring a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/one-gains-a-double-benefit-in-writing-about-the-past-conjuring-up-how/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-great-thing-about-money-is-that-people-can-use-it-to-buy-things/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-idea-that-the-gdp-still-serves-as-an-accurate-gauge-of-social/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/most-of-mark-zuckerberg-s-income-is-just-rent-collected-off-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/to-calculate-the-gdp-numerous-data-points-have-to-be-linked-together/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/countless-studies-have-shown-that-people-who-work-less-are-more/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. 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