Historians do not allow themselves to acknowledge the extraordinary irrationality of the phenomena they study. In our roles as normal human beings, we come to our senses briefly (watching a documentary or movie) and say (either out loud or to ourselves), THIS IS INSANE.

But then, returning to our professional role, we retreat to the position that the insanity we have witnessed is "normative." These phenomena have occurred so frequently in the history of the human race. How can they be manifestations of insanity?

How conventional and cowardly we are: Fleeing from the possibility that the history of humanity or civilization built upon a bedrock of insanity from the very beginning: when mass, suicidal battles involving tens-of-thousands of men began occurring 5000 years ago.