The study of history can help us make decisions about the future because A) people and events from the past are no different than those in the present and future. B) the same events tend to happen again and again. C) people who study history are usually smart and are more likely to make better decisions. D) historical instances of conflict and cooperation are examples that we can learn from.

The study of history can help us make decisions about the future because:

D) historical instances of conflict and cooperation are examples that we can learn from.

Explanation:

Let's analyze each option separately to find the best answer.

Option A says events do not change. The same things that happened in past will happen again now and in the future. That is a dangerous affirmation. Some events could be similar, but never exactly the same. The context and the people involved, for instance, are different. Therefore, option A can be eliminated. And since option B makes a similar claim, we can also eliminate it.

Option C states people who study history are smart and make better decisions. This is quite biased, as a matter of fact. People who study other subjects and specialize in other fields are also smart and also make good decisions. Thus, this is not a good reason to justify why the study of history can help us.

Option D is the correct one. Indeed, by looking back and learning from not only conflicts but also cooperation, we can make more informed decisions for the future. The situations will not be exactly the same, for that is impossible, but we can avoid certain mistakes and move more carefully by keeping in mind what worked and what did not work in the past.