The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[overgeeked]

Is it?

I feel like, outside of entertainment, it fuels almost nothing, other than maybe some toxic political and social movements.

Those, too. And a lot more besides. You had fun on that one vacation as a kid (if you were lucky enough to get vacations), so as an adult or parent you try to replicate those vacations. Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, the Enchanted Forest, fishing on the river or lake, beach trips, etc. That’s all nostalgia.

You watched a sports team growing up and remember the time spent with parents, friends, family, etc. So you keep watching the same sports team as you grow up. Go to games, buy merch. Maybe take your own kids to see them play. That’s all nostalgia.

Do you associate particular scents or smells with particular people, good or bad? That’s nostalgia. My dad was a machinist so he always came home smelling like oil and grease. He worked on cars on the weekends, so more oil and grease. He drove demolition derby, so more oil and grease. Every time I smell that, I think of my dad. Pure nostalgia.

Visit friends and family on the holidays? That’s at least partially nostalgia, but also a lot of guilt and dread. Maybe up until COVID hit. Then, if you’re like most people, your family traditions were shattered. Spend any time wishing you could get back to those family traditions during COVID? That’s nostalgia.

Hell, wish things would get back to normal since COVID? That’s nostalgia.

Ever reminisce about things that happened in the past? Think about high school or college fondly? Ever smile when you remember your first kiss, first love, first time having sex, first heartbreak? That’s nostalgia.

Have any great, close friends growing up, in high school, or college? Do you miss them and the good times you had? That’s nostalgia.

A lot of what people do is pure nostalgia.

(At this point I feel a song coming on, to the tune of “That’s Amore.”)

 

[payn]

Nostalgia is a disease.

 

[Autumnal]

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Those, too. And a lot more besides. You had fun on that one vacation as a kid (if you were lucky enough to get vacations), so as an adult or parent you try to replicate those vacations. Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, the Enchanted Forest, fishing on the river or lake, beach trips, etc. That’s all nostalgia.

You watched a sports team growing up and remember the time spent with parents, friends, family, etc. So you keep watching the same sports team as you grow up. Go to games, buy merch. Maybe take your own kids to see them play. That’s all nostalgia.

I still count those as entertainment.

Do you associate particular scents or smells with particular people, good or bad? That’s nostalgia. My dad was a machinist so he always came home smelling like oil and grease. He worked on cars on the weekends, so more oil and grease. He drove demolition derby, so more oil and grease. Every time I smell that, I think of my dad. Pure nostalgia.

Visit friends and family on the holidays? That’s at least partially nostalgia, but also a lot of guilt and dread. Maybe up until COVID hit. Then, if you’re like most people, your family traditions were shattered. Spend any time wishing you could get back to those family traditions during COVID? That’s nostalgia.

Hell, wish things would get back to normal since COVID? That’s nostalgia.

Ever reminisce about things that happened in the past? Think about high school or college fondly? Ever smile when you remember your first kiss, first love, first time having sex, first heartbreak? That’s nostalgia.

OK, but what do those fuel? You can feel things without them being productive. I can stub my toe but it's not going to drive innovation or fire up the economy or anything.

 

[overgeeked]

I still count those as entertainment.

OK, but what do those fuel? You can feel things without them being productive. I can stub my toe but it's not going to drive innovation or fire up the economy or anything.

It fuels you going home for Xmas, reaching out to old friends, going to the beach because you loved it as a kid, etc. If you’re only looking at whether nostalgia spurs invention or the economy, I can’t help you. But you should know nostalgia does both, as we’ve already covered.

 

[overgeeked]

“All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” —Monty Python.

 

[Gradine]

Turns out, enjoying things? Pretty cool

 

[Scribe]

My man, I can respect the passion, but you're crossing an event horizon on this topic.

 

[trappedslider]

Turns out, enjoying things? Pretty cool

well only certain things

 

[CleverNickName]

But how do I know if I enjoy something or not? I mean, people on the Internet tell me that Hawaiian pizza is both delicious and disgusting. I really wish there was some easy way to discover the truth.