Why We View the Past as Better Than the Present

There’s a reason why no one ever talks about “the bad old days.” A nostalgic longing for bygone times—and a sense that the present doesn’t stack up well against the past—is a common sentiment. 

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“People who are nostalgic are generally not people who think life is on a declining path,” says Tim Wildschut, a professor of social and personality psychology at the University of Southampton in the U.K.

Wildschut is the author of two recent papers that contrast nostalgia with what he terms “declinism.” Nostalgia, he says, is all about the recollection of personal memories. These memories promote feelings of affiliation and social connectedness. “Important people in our lives, including people who may no longer be around, are brought to life through nostalgic memory, and through these memories we feel closer to them,” he explains. By reconnecting us with our past experiences, nostalgia also provides a sense of continuity that fosters feelings of meaningfulness and optimism, he says.

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