Why was Julius Caesar assassinated in 44 BC by his best friend? Why did the Roman Empire collapse in the 5th century AD? Historians are still perplexed by this disaster? Why did William of Normandy attack England in 1066 AD, a date every schoolchild should know? The position of the stars, the phases of the moon and especially divine influences, according to the ancients, were undoubtedly responsible for such assassinations, collapses of kingdoms and invasions. Certainly, eclipses have also had a huge influence on political disasters. Ultimately, of course, the thinking became much more sophisticated, but the new explanations were still simplistic. Hitler did not single-handedly cause World War II; Uncle Tom's Cabin could not have been the sole cause of the Civil War, and the Catholic Church was not solely responsible for the Crusades. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Noted contemporary historian Barbara Tuchman, on the other hand, takes a psychological and sociological approach to attributing the causes of national and international failures such as Russia's recent economic collapse, current Israeli-Palestinian hostility, and past apartheid policies in South Africa. In her book, The March of Folly, she identifies acting on one's desires without being distracted by facts as a factor that plays a remarkably important role in government. Some would even go so far as to argue that Tuchman's theory can be applied much more broadly to life in general, on a personal level. Indeed, the wooden spirit plays a remarkably important role in failed human affairs as well as in affairs of state. Probably the saddest failures happen in human relationships. Some people simply cannot maintain a relationship with another person, because of how stubborn they are. The wooden head could simply be in people's minds or in the way they think about current issues. The wooden head may even come from our childhood and the way our parents raised us. Sometimes a person will not give in and admit their fault or that they are wrong, even when the facts are there. For some people, it's prejudice that makes them stubborn, and this problem is known to get many people into trouble. Marriage is another example. It's a big decision in life and some people don't even think twice about what they're getting themselves into. This is when abuse becomes a major problem in American life. Sometimes they don't even follow the advice of friends and family, who can spot the obvious signs of danger. Simply ignoring these signs can lead to bad relationships and even abusive relationships. Abusers can be stupid to the extent that they know it's wrong, but they can't help it. But victims can also be stupid to the extent that they will not receive help. This causes many problems and leads to many people being injured mentally and/or physically. Some people like to ignore the facts and continue living as they always have. Addictions are a big problem for people all over the world. An example would be gambling. This is a very addictive and wood-headed trait of humanity. Even though the odds are against us, we still visit casinos just to satisfy our addiction. Sometimes people have a problem so severe that they end up in.