Robert Heilbroner Quotes

Can't disagree with the need for a grasp of history.

I think that America has an obsession with history, really.

Most of us, I think, are conscious of history swirling around outside the door, but when we're in the house, we're usually not dealing with history. We're not thinking about history.

A year is an eternity in politics - though less than a moment in history.

What I'm passionate about is History, and politics interest me only insofar as it is the cross-section of History in the present.

I really feel sorry for kids who aren't interested in history - recent history, either, because it is this that made us what we are.

I was always deeply aware that I was living in history.

A consciousness of history is one of the key factors that distinguishes us from other animals.

The context of history proved invaluable.

Histories are to educate so that we understand better for ourselves and for motivation.

History is weirdly dismissed as not having anything to do with the present moment.

Know thy history. Let it horrify you; let it inspire you.

You need to constantly remind yourself what is the most important thing that is happening in the world - what is the most important thing that is happening in history. The discipline to have this focus is something I gained from meditation.

History, in illuminating the past, illuminates the present, and in illuminating the present, illuminates the future.

History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are.

I think if we don't understand history, if we don't keep referring back to it, we become complacent. And complacency, as we all know, it leads to repeating history.

Stories are told over time, and so they naturally accrue meanings.

It's hard to understand a moment in history when you are in it.

I love and I'm intrigued by what history does to people and to subjects that matter.

I was always pretty interested in my history. Not just the history of the Caribbean, the history of my people, but all walks of life.

The beauty about history is that it's open to perception.

I think a sense of history and perspective for our young people today is essential.

Any historian worth their salt should be aware of wars, conflicts, catastrophes. They happen. This is part of the panorama.

My work as a whole is about excavating and shining a light on pieces of history that not only need to be seen and heard, but that can also add to the conversation about what's going on now.

History does not produce definitive answers for all time. It is a process.