Celtic History??

[Burly Brute]

As to the original OP's post about the lack of teaching of Celtic history, the same could be said of just about any culture in the world, going back thousands of years. It is just that there are not many Babylonians around today (or at least who would call themselves that) to complain about the lack of Babylonian history being taught to the general public. We are each taught curricula chosen by our designated educators that is thought to be relevant to who and where we each are physicall, politically, religiously, etc... And although we all know the old adage that he who fails to study the mistakes of the past is doomed to repeat them (think of Hitler repeating Napoleon's invasion of Russia---both ultimately doomed to failure for the very same reasons), most of what we are taught is only that which is relevant to what is "useful" in today's society---mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, etc.. while the more historical subjects like literature and history and political science are typically relegated to minor requirements or elective status. Again this is speaking in generalities but from my experience as a long-standing student, educator, child of an educator, and parent of two now college aged children.

Youth is wasted on the young, and it is they who should be interested in and taught the lessons of all manner of history, but alas in today's hustle bustle high tech world it is lost in the fog of all that is required for survival in the immediate moment, and relegated to hobby or interest status, unless there is some specific reason to study some part of history. That is why so many of us do not start becoming interested in history until much later in our lives---we have stabilized the "requirements of survival today" with a regular job and settled life, and have time to become interested in other things, while simultaneously recognizing that the older we get the closer our own mortality becomes a reality. Remembering our own lives, hearing stories of the lives of others told to us by friends and family and faculty then become so much more important to us, memories to hold onto, and why most foks getting into geneology are over 40 years old.

History is important, but far too many of us spend too much of our time worried about living in the present or planning for the future to ever turn around and look backward into the lessons and beauty that is the past.

j

Very valid points, however, let me try to assert a few pointless bits of dribble to further confuse everyone else! Haha1 I totally agree, if I were of specific Babylonian decent, writing on xmarksthebab.com, I would probably be raising the same issue—if it were an issue. So I don’t know if that is the best argument. And who decides what we are taught? Whether it is best? I think that was my main point in asking why those who designate what we learn skip over such a deep part of human history. And to be honest, mathematics, physics, all that combined is useless without a good foundation of history because history, in part, is what drives a man’s spirit to be creative and inventive.
The hard part in all of my arguments is my huge Christian bias. Mostly because I always come back to the root of man’s nature with a preconceived bias, and it is through that lens that I weigh, as a whole, all of mankind’s decisions. Your second paragraph really hits home, I think our lack of historical studies, our “just to graduate” attitudes is leaving people void, hallowed out shells that ruminate on nothing and give nothing back (keep in mind this is a generality and doesn’t apply to everyone…also I am speaking from an American POV). I think everyone in here raised great points, especially you Forrester about how muddled up all of the system has become. I guess, despite my foolish attempt, there is no real definitive answer on why these subjects aren’t more common in the public school system. I am thankful for this website and those majors mentioned previously which can be taken at the college level. I think the Celts, or more specifically the Gaels and Picts have such a rudimentary history which would help young men be men and grow a class in society which would be more honorable and determined to live by integrity. I think Americans are lax in history and in their lives simply because we have lost touch with our roots and reality, becoming these nihilistic peons who rely way too much on technology to cure all of our ills.

Side Note: This reply may have been border-line to break a rule, if so please delete. I think you all can tell that I wasn’t attacking any specific group, except maybe my whole society as a whole (trying to restrain within generalities), but I may have gotten carried away. Either way, no worries!