"Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them"

This quote by Leo Tolstoy is a commentary on the nature of historians and their work. He recommends that historians resemble deaf people, because they are unable to hear the questions that are being asked of them. Instead, they are responding to concerns that nobody has actually asked. This indicates that historians are not responding to the requirements of today, however rather are focused on the past. They are not engaging with the current concerns and disputes, but instead are stuck in the past. This quote recommends that historians are not responding to the requirements of today, but rather are stuck in the past. It implies that historians are not engaging with the existing issues and arguments, however instead are addressing concerns that no one has asked. This quote is a pointer that historians must be aware of the present and want to engage with the present disputes and problems. It is a reminder that historians need to be open to new ideas and perspectives, and not be stuck in the past.