History, Identity, and Narrative

History created and Erased

It is true that to understand our identity and present needs, we must know our past. As the famous saying goes, “Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” While history offers valuable lessons, we cannot live in it forever. We must move forward, shaping our identity in the present—an identity that is often built around a grand narrative of history. Yet, the truth is that what we know of history is only ten percent fact, fifty percent fiction, twenty percent interpretation, and the remaining twenty percent is shaped by narratives woven around all of these.

Today, social media plays an even greater role in shaping these narratives. Gone are the days when people engaged deeply with books filled with historical details. When most do not have the patience to read even a single-line message or watch a video longer than thirty seconds, who has the time or interest to sit through lengthy lectures by scholars analyzing history and the ideologies that shape its narratives? Of course, these scholars have their own dedicated followers—including people like me—who appreciate their tireless efforts to unearth historical myths and provide insights that help us understand our identity, shape our present, and plan for the future.

That said, there is little point in blaming social media. After all, we rely on it even to critique it. Social media itself remains neutral; it is how we use it that matters. The reality is that most ordinary people neither read scholarly works nor engage in intellectual debates—especially when these discussions happen in English—because they are too preoccupied with the struggles of daily life. Instead, they follow those who address their immediate concerns and promise to protect their identity from perceived threats, both internal and external.

At the end of the day, while history is important, our identity is shaped more by the narratives we accept than by intellectual discourse, no matter how scholarly it may be. More importantly, since our present identity and actions will shape future history, the narratives we create based on past factual fictions may offer guidance but will never fully serve our needs. After all, history is written by the victors, not by those they defeated. And since most historical successes are often exaggerated rather than purely factual, neither the victors nor the vanquished can offer a complete roadmap for shaping our identity—or ensuring that future generations learn from both our success and failure.

Ashram, 27-3-2025