Looking back on life

[Theorist]

So, I was thinking, when we look back on life and miss all the memories and the "good times" are we really missing these old times because they were better, or because we wish we could go back to those memories knowing what we know now?

[iron_jones]

I think it all depends on what the memories are. In times when we've found ourselves in tight spots I sometimes wish I could've known then what I know now.

But sometimes I would like to just go back to the good times I can remember.

[Aquaplant]

As a hopeless sucker for nostalgia, I'm often reminded about its somewhat deceptive nature. Yet there is usually always truth to it that something was better, but we usually just remember the good things about past events and not the bad. I sometimes think what it would be like to live my life anew up to this point while still knowing everything I do now. Apart from the fact that it would make one insane, it would be quite entertaining.

Anyhow, it's impossible to say, seeing how we are so weird in our ways of thinking, that we always think about things we want and things that would make us happy, but we never really know if that would be true.

[Moco Loco]

When I get nostalgic, I really just wish that the present could be more like the past, not that it were the past, so really neither.

[Theorist]

I'm starting to realize now that when I look back on life, it usually looks good, because I know what I know now. For example, when I think back on elementary school, it seems so nice, because I realize how easy it was back then. But, back then, making a poster about Native Americans was actually difficult. So, when I look back, I think "Wow, life was so simple back then" because I know what I know now. Not knowing necessarily where my future lay, but knowing how to do all the stuff I was required to do back then.

[Human No More]

It's both, but I'd say that when it comes to wanting to do something again with something I know now, that's more about bad times than good - mistakes I made, or things I didn't do which I should have. I try to avoid thinking about that now though, and just think about the future, and good things in the past.

[Crickett]

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

As a hopeless sucker for nostalgia, I'm often reminded about its somewhat deceptive nature. Yet there is usually always truth to it that something was better, but we usually just remember the good things about past events and not the bad.

What I would say is this. If this is true for you (you in general, not necessarily Aquaplant), be GRATEFUL for it. As someone who generally remembers the bad things about past events and not the good, it often really sucks going through life this way.

[Aquaplant]

I know what you mean Crickett, but what I wrote was mainly as a response to the idea that when people long for the good old days, they usually always forget the things that were worse back then. We also tend to be somewhat conservative by nature in many ways, so at times all kind of new things might seem like bad because they are new and we are not familiar or comfortable with them.

Thinking about past failures makes me feel miserable, but thinking about good memories makes me feel better. So whenever possible I try to forget the bad about the past, even if it is not always easy, because the present is unpleasant enough without past adding anymore grief to it.