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The Fallacy of the Past


TehChron

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There are those that espouse the mistaken belief that history is immutable. That memory is absolute. They use this fallacy as the hammer with which to strike down any and all attempts of those who try to leave their previous mistakes behind in favor of rising to a new future, one where those weighed down by past mistakes can reinvent themselves for the sake of their future.

But, as I've been subtly suggesting, the argument is based upon a faulty premise. The past is far from immutable. Indeed, history is subjective, a thing open to interpretation, revision, and negation from the all-important now. All that is required to overcome one's past is the will to act as necessary, and the drive and imagination to see it changed to one's own liking.

Some people think of this as double-think, that is incorrect. Double-think is the subjective interpretation of "now", rather than alteration of the past. Doublethink is a personal hypocrisy, whereas changing the past is simply "progress", as it were.

I would like to see someone take this theory, and put it into practice. It's definitely fascinated me for some time.

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The past, the facts of it, are immutable. Interpretation however, can vary, and do for the most part.

Be that as it may, the past and our interpretations thereof exist for one overarching reason. To serve as a guide and if need be, a cautionary tale. To forget the past is folly, to be stuck in it, doubly so.

In a nutshell? Nothing matters. Cheers!

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What happened doesn't exist anymore thus it's not immutable nor changeable, it just is not.

History is subjective, yes, although subjectivity on facts beyond "a certain point" (which varies with the circumstances) generally isn't taken seriously, and for good reasons.

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What happened doesn't exist anymore thus it's not immutable nor changeable, it just is not.History is subjective, yes, although subjectivity on facts beyond "a certain point" (which varies with the circumstances) generally isn't taken seriously, and for good reasons.

exactly. And finding where that line lies sounds like an interesting endeavor.

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I often rest upon the past, most notably in regards to VE, but in many situations. But the key is not to be prejudiced or lazy. There are people and alliances and things that change, and when they do I am gracious and happy. But when they don't, I'm right there with my annals.

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I often rest upon the past, most notably in regards to VE, but in many situations. But the key is not to be prejudiced or lazy. There are people and alliances and things that change, and when they do I am gracious and happy. But when they don't, I'm right there with my annals.

There's also the other end of the spectrum, when alliances change for the worse.

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