What is the practicality of historical research?

I know there are some people out there who are saying why bother studying history or doing historical research. There is some elements of personal interest but I believe it goes much deeper than that. To me history speaks volumes about the world- about people. I love the element of human connection history evokes- history connects us. History allows us to make connections not just with each other presently but also in the past.

For example: The anniversary of 9/11 was a couple weeks ago and I saw many Facebook posts asking where were you when it happened? This event ties people together- creates an atmosphere to talk (discussion). It can draw people together. This is a historical event (large range of implications, things have happened since than because of it- such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the interactions between different groups of people).

Below are some questions/thoughts on historical study to consider/think about.

Why am I personally interested in history? I am interested in the human connections not just with other people but also how we connect and interact with the larger world. I also find technology, architecture (love old buildings-character), artwork, music, dramas- plays, stories, fairy tales, artefacts (clothing, make-up, hair styles, furniture, household goods, food) etc fascinating. It allows us to explore, to open our minds. To think deeper- about other people.

For ex. Does a particular building style of a particular era say something about how people lived?

Why study history? I think that in order to understand the present, you must understand the past. How can you move forward without understanding the past (where we came from, how we got where we are now).

What is the purpose of studying history? First we must be specific about the word purpose. What is your purpose in studying anything? Why do people study? To gain knowledge. Knowledge is powerful- it leads to understanding.

What is the reasoning behind the studying of history? I think the first 3 questions relate to each other. We need to discuss the reasons behind studying history- to learn about the past, to understand past people, generations, and societies.

We can debate the concept of understanding the past to not repeat the same mistakes in the future. I am not sure exactly how I feel about this idea yet.
Why do people keep having wars? Are we unable to understood the effects of war?

It's in the past. It has already happened/taken place. We are unable to change the past. 
More of a statement than a question but a valuable point (argument that people make about studying history). I think a key word to think about is relevance. People are always looking to make the connection with has it anything relevant to my life. How does this effect my life? How does this connect to my life? How is history relevant to me? Its about making connections with present life- how can you understand (finding meaning, creating connections, interacting with, question, compare/contrast, analyse, critique)  the present world (in terms of economics, political, physical, religious, government, among other terms) if you have no frame of reference. Where we have come from (personally but also as a generation, era, society) impacts where we are now and where we are going in the future.

We need to think of the world in terms of the PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE. These three eras (time periods) interact together.


How does it effect us/our lives? We can look at history on many different levels.
One way to make history personal is to look at the growing fascination with genealogy and the study of our family history (family tree).
What about studying a monument in your town or city? Who was it created for? Why was it created? When? Who created it? Why was it placed where it was? What is the story behind it?

What is research in terms of historical thought/research? It opens doors for many useful skills- critical thinking, analytical skills, communication, and creativity.
Sometimes you go into research with a question that you want to answer.
Sometimes you are looking to discover more.
Sometimes to analyse previous data- to further explore, compare, contrast, make connections.

I would love to hear what your opinions are. Opening dialogue is an important step in discussing history. It involves more than one viewpoint.