You don't want to have the past repeat itself so you learn about it to know its effect on the world.
It was when he weeps upon meeting Elpenor's ghost in Hades that Odysseus demonstrates a realistic, human side of his character.
Elpenor is Odysseus's mother whose ghost he saw in Hell and started crying and feeling sad, which is a human emotion to feel. The other options wouldn't normally be possible if a mere human were to do them because god-like powers are necessary for them.
The 3rd one: We laughed at the dog with the shaggy fur who was catching the ball.
