How Did We Get Here? From History to Human Behaviour

 “How Did We Get Here? From History to Human Behaviour”

We often look back at history and ask how people could live with things like public executions, political killings, or the suffering of young people caught in power struggles—like Lady Jane Grey, a teenage girl who briefly became Queen of England before being executed in 1554.

It’s hard to understand from a modern point of view. But history shows us something important: societies don’t change overnight—they evolve through fear, power, belief systems, and survival thinking.

Back then, power was concentrated in a few hands. Kings and queens ruled without elections. Religion and politics were deeply connected. And survival often depended on removing rivals quickly, even when those rivals were children or teenagers.

What seems shocking today was once seen—by some—as “necessary.”

But this raises a bigger question:

How did we get here, and are we really that different now?

Today, we no longer see public executions in most places, but we do see large-scale systems that still create harm—war, inequality, environmental damage, and political conflict. The scale has changed, but the question of human behaviour remains.

The past isn’t just something behind us. It is a mirror asking us what we still accept today

Reflective Questions 

What do we consider “acceptable” in society today that future generations might question?

How does history shape what we think is normal or normalised?

Where do you see systems today that create harm without anyone directly “choosing” it?

What does peace actually mean to you—absence of conflict, or something deeper?

How do fear and power influence decisions in societies, past and present?

In what ways do humans reflect both nature and something beyond it?

Can awareness of suffering lead to change, and if so, how?

What role do empathy and discomfort play in creating a more peaceful world?

How do media and storytelling influence how we understand violence and justice?

What small actions in daily life contribute to either conflict or peace?

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