--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good historian always provides for an…" description: "\"“A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. \"Probably,\" \"allegedly,\" \"it is possible...”\" — Teodoro A. Agoncillo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_historian_a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an_560535.jpg" --- # A good historian always provides for an exit in case of… ![“A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible...” quote by Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_historian_a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an_560535.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_historian_a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an_560535.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_historian_a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an_560535.jpg) > ““A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible...”” [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historians should always leave room for doubt and alternative explanations. **In simple terms:** Historians need backup plans. Key Takeaway Always consider multiple possibilities. Themes history critical thinking uncertainty Mood analytical reflective Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - research - teaching - writing - analysis Key Concepts source criticism methodology contingency planning Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to commit to a single narrative? - How do we balance doubt with clarity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on uncertainty can paralyze decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allegedly Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allegedly-possible-4648115/) [Good Historian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-historian-588526/) [Historian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historian/) [Historian Provides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historian-provides-4648114/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Probably Allegedly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-allegedly-4648116/) ## Related quotes > [One cannot be a good historian of the outward, visible world without giving some thought to the hidden, private life of ordinary people; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/one-cannot-be-a-good-historian-of-the-outward-visible-world-without-2/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [One cannot be a good historian of the outward, visible world without giving some thought to the hidden, private life of ordinary people; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/one-cannot-be-a-good-historian-of-the-outward-visible-world-without/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [To be a really good historian is perhaps the rarest of intellectual distinctions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/to-be-a-really-good-historian-is-perhaps-the-rarest-of-intellectual/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [A good historian is timeless; although he is a patriot, he will never flatter his country in any respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/a-good-historian-is-timeless-although-he-is-a-patriot-he-will-never/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [If you look at Gothic detailing right down to the bottom of a column or the capital of a column, it's a small version…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jencks/if-you-look-at-gothic-detailing-right-down-to-the-bottom-of-a-column/) [Charles Jencks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jencks/) > [“And before there was Clara and Archie there was Clara and Ryan. And there is no getting away from Ryan Topps. Just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/and-before-there-was-clara-and-archie-there-was-clara-and-ryan-and/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“The good historian, then, must be thus described: he must be fearless, uncorrupted, free, the friend of truth and of liberty; one who, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-of-samosata/the-good-historian-then-must-be-thus-described-he-must-be-fearless/) [Lucian of Samosata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-of-samosata/) > [The good historian is like the giant of the fairy tale. He knows that wherever he catches the scent of human flesh, there his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bloch/the-good-historian-is-like-the-giant-of-the-fairy-tale-he-knows-that/) [Marc Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bloch/) > [Every good historian is almost by definition a revisionist. He looks at the accepted view of a particular historic episode or period with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/every-good-historian-is-almost-by-definition-a-revisionist-he-looks/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“No one is a good historian of the patent, visible, striking, and public life of peoples, if he is not, at the same time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-is-a-good-historian-of-the-patent-visible-striking-and-public/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Who is this historian who can say that he's telling the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Nobody, because you're human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/who-is-this-historian-who-can-say-that-he-s-telling-the-whole-truth/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [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/) > [“military historian Richard Holmes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-wright/military-historian-richard-holmes/) [Clare Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-wright/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [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/) ## More by Teodoro A. Agoncillo > [“The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-people-who-criticize-me-are-ignorant-of-what-history-is-because/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“Maganda ang kastila. It is beautiful, lalo pa kung nagmumura.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/maganda-ang-kastila-it-is-beautiful-lalo-pa-kung-nagmumura/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“Who is this historian who can say that he's telling the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Nobody, because you're human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/who-is-this-historian-who-can-say-that-he-s-telling-the-whole-truth/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“The attitude of a student in history should be do not accept anything until proven otherwise. Doubt everything including your parentage! Including your parentage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-attitude-of-a-student-in-history-should-be-do-not-accept-anything/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I said that great men had a sense of history. But when you say you have a great sense of history it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-said-that-great-men-had-a-sense-of-history-but-when-you-say-you/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“What history is not biased? Show me a historian, a real historian who is not biased!...History is never objective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/what-history-is-not-biased-show-me-a-historian-a-real-historian-who/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“History is re-creation while literature is creation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/history-is-re-creation-while-literature-is-creation/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [ “Politeness is good only in social relations, because to be polite in literary or academic \[matters\] would be to be dishonest. Ipinasa mo out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/politeness-is-good-only-in-social-relations-because-to-be-polite-in/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I do not believe in this command leadership. Dangerous doctrine 'yan ha. Because you cannot know everything your men do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-do-not-believe-in-this-command-leadership-dangerous-doctrine-yan-ha/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“In historical methodology, it says that the more private a communication is, the more authoritative it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/in-historical-methodology-it-says-that-the-more-private-a/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“History deals with the past, not with the future. We use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/history-deals-with-the-past-not-with-the-future-we-use-history-to/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [ “It's stupidity to continue using a method which is proven to be useless \[and\] fruitless. It's a waste of manpower.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/it-s-stupidity-to-continue-using-a-method-which-is-proven-to-be/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“That is why I'm not in favor of the UP today which is too big, because the standard goes down. The reason is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/that-is-why-i-m-not-in-favor-of-the-up-today-which-is-too-big-because/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“You see, this is one big defect of many people... They see nothing good in people they don't like. And this is dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-see-this-is-one-big-defect-of-many-people-they-see-nothing-good/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I am not stamped by the majority. The herd may go anywhere I will not go with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-am-not-stamped-by-the-majority-the-herd-may-go-anywhere-i-will-not/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) [Explore all 34 Teodoro A. Agoncillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) ## More Historian 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/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“military historian Richard Holmes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-wright/military-historian-richard-holmes/) [Clare Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-wright/) > [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/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [The novelist must look on humanity without partiality or prejudice. His sympathy, like that of the historian, must be unbounded, and untainted by sect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldwin-smith/the-novelist-must-look-on-humanity-without-partiality-or-prejudice/) [Goldwin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldwin-smith/) > [The historian amputates reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaetano-salvemini/the-historian-amputates-reality/) [Gaetano Salvemini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaetano-salvemini/) > [The issue of civil rights was too much for the establishment to handle. One of the chapters of history that's least studied by historians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/the-issue-of-civil-rights-was-too-much-for-the-establishment-to/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“The historian will tell you what happened, the novelist will tell you what it felt like.” E.L. Doctorow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-historian-will-tell-you-what-happened-the-novelist-will-tell-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If experiments are performed thousands of times at all seasons and in every place without once producing the effects mentioned by your philosophers, poets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/if-experiments-are-performed-thousands-of-times-at-all-seasons-and-in/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [I'm a historian by training and by conviction. And so the thing that has throughout informed my thinking about international relations is history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/i-m-a-historian-by-training-and-by-conviction-and-so-the-thing-that/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [The footnote would seem to be the smallest detail in a work of history. Yet it carries a large burden of responsibility, testifying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-himmelfarb/the-footnote-would-seem-to-be-the-smallest-detail-in-a-work-of/) [Gertrude Himmelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-himmelfarb/) > [Who says history is stagnant? For a historian, facts do not change; it is the way we look at things, our interpretations, that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-says-history-is-stagnant-for-a-historian-facts-do-not-change-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) [Browse all 920 Historian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. \"Probably,\" \"allegedly,\" \"it is possible...”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Teodoro A. 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