Final answer:
The culprit of bad and overly optimistic history textbooks is often the lack of critical thought and an inherent bias among historians, leading to a skewed perspective on past events.
Step-by-step explanation:
When investigating what is one culprit of our bad and overly optimistic history textbooks, a prominent factor is the lack of critical thought or unconscious assumptions by authors. The textbooks often glossover negative events or frame them in a way that downplays the actual severity of those events, such as the way certain Japanese textbooks handle Korea's history during Japanese colonial rule. Moreover, the inherent bias of historians, shaped by their own experiences and value systems, can impact the narrative presented in textbooks. While some biases can lead to a refreshing reexamination of historical events, they can also result in an unbalanced portrayal that fosters a skewed perspective on history.
Textbooks are a significant tool in education and have the power to shape societal perceptions, but when they perpetuate overly optimistic or incomplete narratives, they risk giving students a faulty sense of superiority and understanding of the past. Recognizing and challenging these inclinations in textbooks is necessary to cultivate a comprehensive and authentic understanding of history among students. We must approach historical education with humility and a commitment to an accurate representation of past events, even if this requires confronting uncomfortable truths.