Ask Marilyn

You once wrote about why we should study history. Could you please repeat that answer for my teen sons?

—James Villa, Boise, Idaho The chronicle of historical events teaches us—bit by bit by bit— about civilization, human nature, and its consequences. Imagine two men after a centuries-long journey in time: One was asleep all the way; the other was awake. The latter witnessed every triumph and calamity, learned where beauty flowered and where it died, watched the greatest and most inglorious fights of good against evil. Which would you choose as a leader? As a friend? Which would you rather be, the man who saw everything or the man who saw nothing? Your answer shows why you should study history.

Send questions to marilyn @ parade.com