Nostalgia

[thebitterguy]

Quick thought: Could a strong sense of Nostalgia be some kind of indicator of mental health?

Suppose that we longingly look back at particular points of our life because we have managed to divest ourselves of the negative impressions of those times, and the unpleasant connotations of those days? Not forgetting the bad things that happened, mind you, but devaluing them until they cease to reflect poorly on the good things?

I mean, being able to think of ANYTHING as The Good Old Days tends to require a certain amount of rose-coloured glasses wearing.

This is, of course, in counterpoint to the argument that nostalgia is simply obliviousness, because everything sucks all the time.

One of those thoughts dumb people have, I guess.

Comments

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Couldn't it be a sign of one's opinion that The Whole World Has Gone To Hell Since My Day, and therefore an indicator of whatever the opposite of rose-coloured glasses is?

I grant you, it probably requires a different form of mental instability than the view that Everything Sucks, Now And Always. If that helps.

[thebitterguy]

Yes, Nostalgia may also be indicative of curmudgeonliness as well.

That seems to present itself more in a "When I was your age" sense, as opposed to the "remember when?" sense. Of course, Nostalgia can also come in as many flavours as Kryptonite, and usually has as varied effects.

Why, one time I thought fondly of my high school days, and grew an extra head.

[artbroken.livejournal.com]

Quick thought: Could a strong sense of Nostalgia be some kind of indicator of mental health?

I hope not, given my near-absolute lack of any sense of nostalgia for anything.

[noondaypaisley.livejournal.com]

I'd have to say no, I've known people who fixated on the past and thus destroyed the present. The Idea of a time that they "Had it all together" or "Before my life got messed up" as a golden age when they were not ill or troubled or whatever effected them and their everyday decisions. Very bad stuff.

BTW did the extra head face to other way? I always thought that would be cool.

[thebitterguy]

Extra head which?

[thebitterguy]

Oh, THAT extra head.

Oddly enough, it faced down. Very useful for spotting lost cash.