What draws people to history?  Niche interests?  Recognizing shared human experiences in different times and cultures?  We explore these ideas and more in this episode.  Starting by what interests people about history, moving through the cyclical nature of civilizational rise and decline, and history giving us examples of greatness (note: "great" is completely detached from morality; a person can be great and have high historical influence yet still be a horrible individual), this episode is our attempt at laying a groundwork for further exploration of the ego and human experience. Kristy Bohan Edmunds is a cofounder and contributor to The Cognitive Dissonance Podcast. Kristy received her BS in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry in 2018, and an MS in Psychology in 2020 and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She serves clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder as a behavior consultant in Oregon. Kristy takes a behavior analytic perspective to life and uses this philosophy to inform her work and her day to day life. Kristy believes in psychology as a hard, natural science. Mitchell Croot is one of the founders and contributors to The Cognitive Dissonance Podcast. A father of four, a US Army veteran, and a former high school educator, and counseling student, Mitchell holds a BA in History with a minor in Secondary Education from Catawba College and an MA in History from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. His interests include colonial North America, the American Revolution, culture and cultural transmission, philosophy, psychology, and music.