I have suspected that history, real history, is more modest and that its essential dates may be, for a long time, secret. A Chinese prose writer has observed that the unicorn, because of its own anomaly, will pass unnoticed. Our eyes see what they are accustomed to seeing. Tacitus did not perceive the Crucifixion, although his book recorded it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- History often hides its true turning points because they are unnoticed or seem too strange to fit normal patterns.
- In plain terms
- Important historical moments may stay hidden because they look unusual or familiar to us.
- What can you take from it?
- Look beyond obvious events to find real change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What hidden dates define your history?
- Why do we ignore the strange?
Another view
Some significant events leave clear records despite being unexpected.
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