I have come to realize that there are two schools of thought on the subject of nostalgia. Those that are not nostalgic and those that are to a fault.
Two conclusions have come about from this realization. The non-nostalgic tend to live less cluttered, more relaxed lives and rarely think of the past in a romantic way or cling to memories with fondness. Those that are nostalgic to a fault however, tend to be more emotional, have clutter around them that remind them of moments in their past, and tend to be more romantic in the way they see and interact with their surroundings.
From these two conclusions it might seem that being a non-nostalgic individual might mean a less stressful existence, but does it really? Which one are you?
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Nostalgia: Nos.tal.gia
Pronunciation: \nä-ˈstal-jə, nə-
— nos·tal·gic \-jik\ adjective or noun
— nos·tal·gi·cal·ly \-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
— nos·tal·gist \-jist\ noun
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek nostos return home + New Latin -algia; akin to Greek neisthai to return, Old English genesan to survive, Sanskrit nasate he approaches
Date: 1729
1: the state of being homesick : homesickness
2: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition ; also : something that evokes nostalgia.
Ah that was a very interesting one.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest about my attitude towards being nostalgic, I believe i belong to the first group who seeks the past and memories in a romantic and longing way.... this makes me (sometimes) quite heavy inside of my heart. But lately I am doing everything to not look at the past and memories in that way but rather being sober and look at them in a happy way.
Cheers,
Banafsheh