Wonderfully thoughtful and thought provoking. I believe Americans generally lack an appreciation for world history and, as a result, they are narrow in their perspective. As with any subject, delving into it more deeply gives you a sense of the richness and complexity. To your point, learning more about something makes you realize how much there is still left to learn. I research and write historical articles for that very reason — to help others comprehend more and selfishly to understand more myself.