Both of these positions, inevitability and eternity, are antihistorical. The only thing that stands between them is history itself. History allows us to see patterns and make judgments. It sketches for us the structures within which we can seek freedom. It reveals moments, of each of them different, none entirely unique. To understand one moment is to see the possibility of being the cocreator of another. History permits us to be responsible: not for everything, but for something. The Polish poet Czesław Miłosz thought that such a notion of responsibility worked against loneliness and indifference. History gives us the company of those who have done and suffered more than we have. Timothy Snyder
About This Quote

H.G. Wells said that the only thing that stands between inevitability and eternity is history. History will bring you to where you should be at this time in your life, and it will also give you the chance to be a creator of another moment. History gives us the company of those who have gone before us and shared their wisdom with us. Even though we may not understand everything they say or do, we can learn from them and take advantage of the things they left behind.

Source: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century

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