40 People Share The Scariest Examples Of History Being Written By Winners

At first, you might wonder why should we care about such questions in the first place. But the past (and our relation to it) can teach us a lot about the present.

"History repeats, so if we have a true understanding of how history has played out before, we can hopefully try to make better decisions so it never happens again," Hayley Nolan, whose book called 'Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies' has become a number one Amazon history bestseller, told Bored Panda.

"From the average person's point of view (as opposed to a monarch or parliamentarian), this can mean recognizing certain behaviors in politicians and thinking 'perhaps I shouldn't vote for them.' Or seeing how a person in history was treated and recognizing those same patterns in, say, the modern media in how a celebrity is being treated and just questioning the narrative we are being fed."

Andrew Martin, who has been researching his family tree over the last 25 years and also hosts 'The Family Histories Podcast', agrees that history has so much to offer us all.

"Studying it academically, or simply casually consuming historical information allows us to learn where we (as a population) have been before - whether that's geographically, politically, morally or another factor," he told Bored Panda. "With knowledge behind us, we as nations and individuals are able to navigate our lives right now, and plan a path in the future without being defeated by the same things every time. History enriches our understanding of the world and our place within it, and therefore having a knowledge of history helps us become better people and achieve more."

Nolan thinks that the phrase "history is written by the victors" is absolutely true. "I quoted it in the first chapter of my corrective biography 'Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies.' Anne Boleyn's story is the perfect example of this. As the infamous second wife of King Henry VIII, evidence in my book proves that Anne Boleyn was an activist and humanitarian who was taken down when she wanted to set up a rival government council in order to launch a Poor Law, providing free healthcare for the people of England," the historian explained.

"King's advisor Thomas Cromwell framed Anne for adultery and she was executed, while he, the victor, re-wrote her story so that the world only knew her as a scheming, cruel adulterer."

Martin also finds these words to be true, but he thinks they can possess plenty of nuances, too. "Sometimes there is not a consensus of who 'the victors' are," he said.

"For example, a country that goes to war with another may appear to have a victor, but you often find that both claim to have won through their country's media or published literature. A lot of history has also been written and published by white men - allowing for a very patriarchal or incredibly biased view to be depicted of what they deemed to be everyday life, as well as some truly horrific events. You can see this in historical accounts of colonialism and slavery from around the world, and the shadows of those are still present today. Sadly, this is only just beginning to alter, as modern historians re-interpret the evidence and allow other historians from different cultures to contribute to these accounts," Martin said.

Nolan pointed out that historians, in their pursuit of truth, have to let go of any preconceived biases they might have. Whatever it is you're researching, you need to look at the person, event, or period without dismissing any research just because it doesn't align with your own views and feelings.

"My book never set out to paint Anne Boleyn as an innocent martyr, and there is a whole chapter dedicated to the questionable decisions she made in life," Nolan said. "Similarly, the history books, or even historical movies as this is how the majority consume their history these days, should always endeavor to present a balanced view of an event, country or person."

"Yes, it's uncomfortable to face some of these truths, particularly if it's our own history, but if we are to learn from the past then we have to know what really happened first," the historian said.

All of that being said, it's still difficult to pinpoint sources where we can search for historical data without having to worry about its legitimacy. "This is so difficult ... because even academic literature isn't immune to bias," Nolan said. "The main problem with the manipulation of history isn't usually the facts that are included, more so the evidence that is strategically left out."

"It really is a minefield knowing who to trust, and I share the readers' frustration! I think having a healthy level of skepticism helps. If someone is promoted as all good, or all bad, or if the blame is conveniently heaped entirely upon one person, then just be aware that there may be more to that story."

The historian believes this also extends to modern-day news. "Question what you are told; the good and the bad, check the sources listed in the history books; if the evidence listed is vague or not there at all, then perhaps take it with a pinch of salt," she said. "But I think our generation is so much more aware of propaganda now, which is great because it will make it harder to be hoodwinked. So trust your instincts when something doesn’t ring true and read as widely as you can on a topic in order to form your own opinion."

At the end of the day, since the past is not directly observable and is not repeatable, history can only make educated guesses about what happened.