I just finished reading a difficult book called "What is History?" by Edward Hallett Carr. The book was published in 1961 and not written easy-to-read format for current people in 2022. I am so sorry. I would not give any conclusion or promote the book to you, but I will emphasize two exciting points from the book.
The History
Carr told us, "imagine the past remember the future." He shared how historians write history by having no idea about what happened in the past (just prediction), and by considering what happened now and through the future, they have the guideline on where to begin their research and writing.
Reflecting on my previous writing, Know Yourself, this is one thing that I learned about myself: That we are the product of our decisions, nature, and nurture. You will understand more about yourself by learning about your history, where you are coming from, the culture, and family background.
For example, to learn where my feminist perspective comes from, I understand that I am fighting for the patriarchy of Bataknese. By understanding that this is a culture that coming ancient for hundred years, there is nothing much I can do. Therefore, better to decide to limit my Bataknese circle and experiences.
Another thing is to understand why my imperfect parents' characters are like that and how they were nurtured. Finding your family genealogy, understanding who your grandparents are, and the vital, essential factors occured in the family tree can also help you understand your upbringing.
The Values
Carr wrote, "Facts cannot be derived from values... A clue to this problem of facts and values is provided by our ordinary use of the word "truth"-a word which straddles the world of fact and the world of value and is made up of elements of both."
It means we need to be able to see that facts can be seen differently by people with different values. For example, most people of Indonesia can accept the patriarchy because they value that man has to be the leader. Men have the ultimate voice and opinion to be heard; women do not.
The 'Truth'?
Which one is the truth? Men as the ultimate leader or equality between men and women to speak and have an opinion? They are talking about the same concept, the fact of patriarchy. Still, because I reflect on my history and upbringing, I know that I choose the equality of gender in marriage.
Therefore, there is no point in debating the same fact when you know you and the other side have a different value. From the agnostic/atheist perspective, the big bang theory just happened like that, and that's how the universe is there. Vice versa, for me, I believe there is a life after the big bang theory (because Genesis 1: 3 said, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."). However, I believe that the universe is here not just happened like that; there is God's purpose.
We talk about the same fact, The Big Bang Theory, but because we have different values, we will interpret this 'fact'/data as our truth (differently). Therefore, I think the world will be better if we appreciate that everyone is different and we have different values in seeing many things in life.
We can't force people to accept the same 'truth' as what we have. We can find the same common ground, that we are talking about the same fact but interpret the fact/data with different values. However, I still emphasize that humanity has some universal moral code, and we can use it as the bridge between our conversations in this diverse community.
Check on Your History
If you want to know more about yourself, recheck your family history and learn where your values are coming from. Life will not be that complicated anymore, and it will be easier for you to accept yourself as it is or if you genuinely want to change your current life. The choice is yours!
Jakarta, 17 July 2022.
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