Are people nostalgic for the past because the present is worse?

[sserafim]

Are people nostalgic for the past because their present situation is worse? I'm missing my college days even though I wasn't exactly happy during them. My college was an environment which made you depressed (just the setting/atmosphere even though I liked learning). There was a certain sadness and melancholy to it. I think that my college life is preferable to my life now though. I wish I could go back to it

 

[ham and potatoes]

I feel like you remember the good days better than the bad ones. Remember all the good times, and forget all the not so good times.
Kinda like looking at the past through rose tinted glasses

 

[tsumihoroboshi]

aside from the really traumatic things, there were enough good times to make me forget the bad unlike now where it feels like a never-ending spiral of despair.

things are much worse now when you long for the days that were still bad but at least far away enough in memory to romanticise and think "maybe i was over exaggerating and it wasn't really all that bad" yet i have many memories of sitting in a corner of my room in the dark and just crying.

 

[Worndown]

Partly because they survived the past. It is known to them, they have no need to fear it.
Tomorrow is unknown.

 

[calebzz1]

Definitely, I miss my vision before surgery and can't accept this new reality of terrible vision.

 

[MyChoiceAlone]

my guess is that's for people who weren't traumatized. actually never really thought about it. recently made the mistake of commenting on some fb post and he told all my old friends so i really couldn't hide anymore. we chatted... nostalgia... we had good times.

 

[letsgetittogo]

You can go back to the past, but no one is there anymore

 

[Malaria]

For me, yes. And I do think the 90s and 00s were better. The depression, loneliness, and suicide rates going up since the mid 10s proves my point. It's gotten much worse since 2020. We just live in shitty times now.

 

[sserafim]

For me, yes. And I do think the 90s and 00s were better. The depression, loneliness, and suicide rates going up since the mid 10s proves my point. It's gotten much worse since 2020. We just live in shitty times now.

Lol I wasn't even alive in the 90s. What were they like?

You can go back to the past, but no one is there anymore

Wdym

 

[Malaria]

Lol I wasn't even alive in the 90s. What were they like?

I was five years old when the 90s ended so I honestly don't know for sure. But I feel like they were statistically better because people were less depressed and lonely. Not saying people didn't get depressed/lonely, but we know for a fact that it's gotten worse since the mid 10s.

 

[NSA]

Grass is always greener. Shit sucked back then too, just differently. It's hilarious hearing "my generation" talk about "kids these days". Humanity has such a short memory.

Not you specifically, just in general.

My life would have been much better in college than it is now if I had been diagnosed and knew how to ask for the help I needed. It's always something.

 

[theboy]

maybe...

 

[divinemistress36]

For me, yes. And I do think the 90s and 00s were better. The depression, loneliness, and suicide rates going up since the mid 10s proves my point. It's gotten much worse since 2020. We just live in shitty times now.

I miss those times!

 

[Agon321]

People tend to romanticize the past.
Especially childhood.

The reason does not always have to be a worse present.
Sometimes a person can be relatively content in the present but still miss the past.
There is a gigantic feeling of nostalgia.
We miss things that have passed and will not come back to us.


Simple situations from the past may seem much better in the future.
My childhood wasn't entirely pleasant, but I feel nostalgic for many situations from the past.

If I were alive in 20 years, I would probably feel nostalgic about some of the things that are happening now.

Of course, deteriorating life is also a reason.
Sometimes, in hindsight, we think that the past was not as bad as we thought before.
We think that the current life is bad, so it can't be worse, and therefore the previous life is better for us.

I'm not a psychologist, so I don't know why this is the case.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I think so, yes. I've seen a lot of people complain about how adulthood is awful and how childhood was so relaxing and freeing. This is a reason why memories don't fully portray our past objectively imo. I believe that our memories are influenced by our current emotions and thoughts. Since people know that they had less responsibilities as a child, they view childhood better.

Perhaps this nostalgia effect doesn't work on me because I understand that feeling happier about my childhood is irrational?

 

[dreambound]

I was five years old when the 90s ended so I honestly don't know for sure. But I feel like they were statistically better because people were less depressed and lonely. Not saying people didn't get depressed/lonely, but we know for a fact that it's gotten worse since the mid 10s.

Allowing for the human ability to adapt to different situations or worsening times, I still think that the 90's was
far less dark than now, & music seemed more vital at the time, with garage bands actually able to make
a living, mostly centered around Seattle..... nostalgic

 

[TiredOfAllThis]

I miss times about 8 years ago when everything was more or less predictable and defined (despite of several issues). Although anxiety has always been with me, it was way less than now