I think it's something that just pops up by itself as you get older. I try to be aware of it and try to challenge it (stuff sucked back then as well) as it is possible for you to get caught in a maze of bitterness and longing for a glorified past. The most miserable old people I know are the ones who always go on about how good things were back when they were young whereas the happier older people I know are those who still engage with the present.
Oh yeah, for sure. But experiencing nostalgia doesn't necessarily mean you're seeing the past through the proverbial rose-colored glasses. I'd like to think I'm fully aware of how shit things were in the past too, but it doesn't change that fact that there were some beautiful points, some sometimes painful but meaningful experiences, and there's nothing wrong with looking back wistfully at them, recognizing them for what they were. And as you get older, there are bound to be more of those moments collected. I totally agree about not getting stuck there, though... getting lost in a past that is gone and never coming back, and crippling yourself from being able to live in the present is just pain and calcification. The happiest older people I know (and the few friends I have irl are mostly elderly) are the ones who can look back and recall with joy their past and share that joy with the people around them in their present.
I think it's something that just pops up by itself as you get older. I try to be aware of it and try to challenge it (stuff sucked back then as well) as it is possible for you to get caught in a maze of bitterness and longing for a glorified past. The most miserable old people I know are the ones who always go on about how good things were back when they were young whereas the happier older people I know are those who still engage with the present.
Oh yeah, for sure. But experiencing nostalgia doesn't necessarily mean you're seeing the past through the proverbial rose-colored glasses. I'd like to think I'm fully aware of how shit things were in the past too, but it doesn't change that fact that there were some beautiful points, some sometimes painful but meaningful experiences, and there's nothing wrong with looking back wistfully at them, recognizing them for what they were. And as you get older, there are bound to be more of those moments collected. I totally agree about not getting stuck there, though... getting lost in a past that is gone and never coming back, and crippling yourself from being able to live in the present is just pain and calcification. The happiest older people I know (and the few friends I have irl are mostly elderly) are the ones who can look back and recall with joy their past and share that joy with the people around them in their present.