The Snark | "Purposes Marred Perhaps More Than Purposes Achieved"

History Isn’t a Straight Line - It’s a Labyrinth of Messy Decisions and Failures

Ah, history. That thing we like to pretend is a neat and tidy list of events, all marching in a perfectly straight line toward some grand conclusion we can all understand. Well, news flash, it’s not. According to the British historian Herbert Butterfield, history isn’t some unfolding plotline; it’s a "labyrinthine piece of network" made up of "strange conjunctures," and - perhaps most importantly - “purposes marred perhaps more than purposes achieved.” In other words, history is a mess. And it’s high time we stopped pretending it’s anything else.

History is Not a Straight Line - So Stop Pretending It Is

Let’s be real: we love to simplify history. One thing happens, and boom - the next thing is inevitable, right? Wrong. Butterfield is having none of that. He’s telling us to stop looking for clean, logical patterns. History doesn’t unfold, it trips over itself and stumbles across the finish line. Instead of a straight path, it’s a messy web of unpredictable events and decisions, none of which lead to the smooth, satisfying conclusion we’re so desperate for.

This is the part of history that real historians - and let’s be honest, real life - like to forget. History isn’t always about grand victories or monumental turning points. It’s more about people screwing up and occasionally stumbling into success. It’s like watching a group of well-meaning idiots trying to navigate a forest and constantly walking into trees. But guess what? That’s what makes it interesting.

Current Events - Guess What? They’re Not Any Better

Now, let’s talk about today. Just because we have Twitter doesn’t mean we’ve finally figured out how to make sense of the world. If anything, history is giving us a gentle reminder that no matter how much we think we understand what’s going on, we’re probably just stumbling around in a labyrinth of poor decisions. Take global politics, the economy, or, heck, society as a whole. Does it make sense? No. Is it a disaster? Absolutely. And it’s because we’re not following a linear path of logic; we’re just blindly tripping over the same old mistakes.

But here's the fun part - this messy unpredictability isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. Life, like history, doesn’t run on a straight line. It zigzags, it stumbles, it makes weird decisions and backs out of them - often in spectacular fashion. Welcome to the club, modern world.

What This Means for Fiction Writers (Hint: It’s Everything)

And now, for my favorite part - how does this apply to you, dear fiction writer? Simple: it’s the perfect excuse to write characters who never get anything right. You don’t have to have them win. In fact, the more they screw up, the better the story gets. Butterfield’s whole point is that life is full of failures, contradictions, and absurdities - and guess what? So is fiction. And that’s where the magic happens.

No one wants perfect heroes. They want characters who make terrible decisions, who get lost in a mess of their own making, who miss opportunities left and right. History shows us that the real story isn’t in the well-executed plans - it’s in the unpredictable consequences of the messes we create. So, go ahead, throw your characters into chaos. Let them fail, let them miss the mark, and let their bad decisions ripple through the story in ways they can’t control. Because guess what? That’s what keeps readers coming back for more.

The Drama of Marred Purposes

Now, let’s talk about “purposes marred.” Butterfield tells us that the things we set out to do don’t always get done. Sometimes, in fact, they’re just completely derailed. As a writer, this is your chance to have fun with it. Give your characters big, lofty goals, then watch them fail spectacularly. Because in real life, we rarely achieve everything we set out to do, and that makes for some seriously compelling storytelling.

Think about it: if your character’s goal is always within reach, they’re not going to be all that interesting. But when they fail? When they don’t get what they want? That’s where the character growth happens. That’s where the messy, beautiful, unpredictable magic of storytelling lives. And trust me, readers love it.

In Conclusion: Life is a Mess, Embrace It

So, there you have it. Butterfield’s view on history - chaotic, unpredictable, and full of mistakes - isn’t just a historical lesson. It’s a writer’s goldmine. Forget about writing a straight path from Point A to Point B. Life (and fiction) isn’t about the perfect ending. It’s about all the weird, unexpected turns and failures that lead to something deeper. History doesn’t unfold neatly, and neither should your characters. So go ahead, let them stumble, fail, and create the kind of messy, beautiful chaos that’s at the heart of real life. Because, spoiler alert: that’s what keeps readers coming back.

Let history be messy. Let your characters be messy. And let’s all just embrace the chaos.

The Snark