The Wisdom of Historical Figures and Leaders
A lot of people might disagree with us, but many people believe that there is no such thing as truth and history is just a matter of perspective. As long as you're open to new ideas and can be convinced by evidence to change your mind, you should always learn from the wisdom of historical figures and leaders. That way, even if they disagree on something today, you know they have some good things to say on the subject! With so many amazing figures who have influenced our modern society and their thoughts around it in this blog post, there are surely plenty of inspirational life lessons for everyone to take into consideration.
The wise men of history are not always the ones you would expect. Here are 10 historical figures everyone should admire, even if you don't agree with what they have to say!
10. Mahatma Gandhi
It's hard to believe that Gandhi was assassinated at the age of 78 because he was so brave (and crazy) and inspiring; many people still admire him to this day for his wisdom despite his controversial views on war and human rights. He believed that violence is not only wrong in itself, but also prevents us from living a peaceful life away from such anger and aggression, since it strengthens our ego instead and increases our chances of making moral mistakes.
9. Marcus Aurelius
Known as the "philosopher king" for his amazing and deep writings, Marcus Aurelius is a man who lived under harsh conditions without comfort or luxury, but still managed to achieve his dreams and continue following his beliefs through philosophy. Perhaps that is why he is one of the most respected emperors in history; for him, living in honor and living a good life without materialistic goals was enough.
8. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. did not live a life that was free of disappointment or failure. He dealt with imprisonment and the death of his mother, but he still managed to fulfill his dreams and fought for his beliefs until his death. His most famous speech, "I Have a Dream," is still one of the most influential speeches in history, and it is important for people to remember that even someone who has suffered so much can still have hope and faith for a better world!
7. Theodore Roosevelt
A lot of people know Teddy Roosevelt as an enthusiastic president who brought back law, order, justice, and strength to America after we lost our taste for it during the Taft Administration. But he was also a man of tremendous power and strength of character, who knew what it was to lead from the front in the worst possible conditions. He was always leading people to war and bringing order to his country, but he never forgot the value of life and freedom.
6. Thomas Jefferson
He is known as one of our most important Founding Fathers due to his role in our Declaration of Independence, which laid out the foundation for our constitution; but he also deserves some credit for his contributions to American politics overall. For example, he was one of the few influential people who stood against slavery, and he believed that everyone deserved the same rights and that humans shouldn't be kept as property.
5. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Gandhi is easily one of the most influential people in history; his non-violent resistance and love for peace changed the world forever. His ideas on economics also affected many political and social theorists to this day, including John Maynard Keynes. He was an influential leader in the Indian independence movement during Anglo-Indian rule, and he was one of the strongest voices for nonviolence that we have ever seen.
4. Ben Franklin
Benjamin Franklin wasn't just a famous inventor and politician, but also an American philosopher, scientist, and writer who was dedicated to gathering as many facts as possible and discovering new ways of thinking. He was a man who wanted to do everything possible with his life, and people still admire him for never giving up on his dreams. He was one of the most renowned scientists and inventors of his time, but he was also an author, politician, philosopher, and diplomat.
3. Winston Churchill
Churchill is another famous leader; he is known as a hero for primarily leading the United Kingdom during World War II. It's not common to have someone be as effective in both war and peace time, but that is what makes Churchill so special; some people believe that you can't really trust someone until they have been through the worst possible conditions; if they come out of it alive, you might just have someone capable of great things.
2. Aristotle
No one is better suited to teach you about the importance of ethics and morality than Aristotle; he dedicated his entire life to the study of philosophy, politics, ethics, rhetoric, and poetry. He was an incredibly smart man whose writings inspired a lot of other people to do great things with their lives, too. His famous quote "Man is a political animal" has allowed us to understand just how important it is that we all take part in legal and social affairs.
2. Martin Luther King Jr.
The fact that this man is on the list twice shows how important he was to American culture; he inspired people in both the civil rights and African-American movements, and his teachings have continued to be an inspiration for oppressed people through modern times.
1. Abraham Lincoln
There is no need to go into a long explanation for why this man is #1; you should already know who he is and what kind of influence he had on America; his abolition of slavery, his leadership during the Civil War, and his teachings about democracy and equality have been two of the most important things in our history.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes; I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Many people have said that taking life is easy, but it is often difficult to see the beauty in the little things, which is why I believe that living a good life and finding beauty in it is difficult. To me, living a good life has nothing to do with wealth or power-I'm not interested in having anything that's "good"; but rather realizing all the small things about ourselves and our lives that we have neglected to appreciate.
Conclusion
I would like to reiterate my statement in the beginning about how this is not a list of historical figures who are "better" than others; but rather, figures that we can all learn from. If you haven't heard much about these people or their contributions, I encourage you to do some research on them and really get to know who they are and what they did with their lives. It's important for all of us to remember that there have been many great leaders in history, but few ever really managed to live good lives; that's why I always value the people who were able to do both!
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