The power of engaging with history does note rest merely in the knowing and remembering of it; though, in any society, remembering is vital.
Nor is the power solely in the learning and applying of history’s lessons today; though, in the face of any injustice or challenge, doing so is imperative.
No, I believe perhaps the most powerful impact of engaging with history is also the most personal: that to engage with history, is to know you are not alone.
The great American writer James Baldwin said this better than I or just about anyone else could:
“You think your pains and your heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me were the very things that connected me with all people who were alive, or who have ever been alive.”
Baldwin was writing, in part, about the strength he drew from history when confronting the racism and anti-gay discrimination he faced in mid-20th century America.
But in his eloquent description of personal inspiration, he captures the deep, profound, and universal impact that history can have on the individual standing up for change or facing a major challenge. It has had that impact on me.
When facing a challenge or addressing an opportunity like Procter & Gamble's entering a new country, I inevitably came back to recognize I was standing on the shoulders of giants, famous and unknown, who had taken on these challenges and opportunities before me.
This is one of the reasons I suppose that I’ve had pictures of my two most esteemed previous CEO's--William Cooper Procter and John Smale--on the wall of my office for years. When facing a tough decision, I have asked myself-- what would they have done. In other words, what action will be in accord with the Purpose and Values of this great Company of ours?
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