WHY DO WE ROMANTICIZE THE PAST: OUR MIND'S GENTLE TRICK

CURIOUS CORNER

9/3/20253 min read

woman lying on bed covering her face surrounded by photos and white camera

There is something strangely beautiful and comforting about looking back at those warm memories which may not have seemed as important back then as they seem now. They weren't a big deal in former times but today they are our treasure memories.

A song that we used to sing with our friends in the school, the taste of childhood favourite dish, a photo from college days, heart warming conversations with entire batchmates, sharing lunch with one another, that one unexpected kind gesture from a stranger, that warm long hearty conversations filled with laughter and love with family, etc, as if the past was that kinder, softer and easier.

But was it really that simple? Or is this our mind playing tricks?

Recently I was going through an article in the newspaper the other day and I came across an amazing yet crazy fact about our mind that says that our mind are the master editors. Apparently, the days when you felt heavier and went through hardships and difficulties, over time, our mind fades those painful feelings for us. It doesn't completely forgets it but keeps it at the bottom in our memories and adds layers of sweet segments that took place during those times or anytime and maybe that's why we remember the details of laughter and heartwarming conversations, lunch breaks, hangouts with friends than the hectic schedules and exam stress. Perhaps we remember the good old memories quite faster than those embarrassing moments that were a total mess. Our brain filters out pain and hold onto those comforting memories for us. We recall late night phone calls with colleagues and inside jokes with them more than that draining job.

And that's how the word nostalgia comes into light. Many psychologists say, nostalgia is not just remembering old memories and feeling good, its also about refueling and recharging us emotionally. Today when you listen to that one song from your teenage years, watch an old TV show, cartoon or a movie that you liked back then, revisit old photographs from the albums or re-read that old slam book from your school time, you get a sense of nostalgia because at that very time your brain releases oxytocin in your body which is a 'happy chemical'.

Also, we often think and say that old times were way simpler. There was no tension, no hullabaloo, no burden just a simple living with no social media addiction. Although, that time had its own struggles. We simply liked it because it was not as intense as what it feels like today.

No doubt that our past has a strong, grounding influence on our present because past has its own story and we get a sense of belongingness from it. We know that once, we lived somewhere, grown and were a part of many stories that have collectively made us what and who we are today.

So, I firmly believe that romanticizing past is completely okay if its making you feel good, healing you in a better way and is soothing your soul. But then there's more to it than meets the eye, what we are living today, will also be good old days tomorrow. Our present will also one day will become a memory.

Hereby, the trick our mind plays might be a simple reminder from it that while cherishing old memories, do not forget to appreciate today's beauty. What you have today, may not be there tomorrow. Who knows, right?

To sum it up, we romanticize the past because when things go tough, we love revisiting to old memories that recharges us emotionally to feel good again or at least find our lost good attitude once again. It softens our pain but also asks us to notice and observe things around us. It plays a trick on us and gently reminds us that even in tough times, there is always something to feel good about, waiting in your present. You just have to be aware and pay attention.