Why Do We Long so Much for the Past?
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Why Do We Long so Much for the Past?

We always think the world was once better, but was it really?

656
Why Do We Long so Much for the Past?
Public Domain Pictures

It seems that all we ever want to do as Americans is go back to the past, where we believe things were simpler, or better. Sure, there were plenty of things that were great about our past, but why do we feel like it was necessarily better than the present that we have now?

People like Trump and all of his supporters love to say, “Make America Great Again.” But why not just say “make a better America” or something along those lines? Why do we feel the need to go back in time instead of push for positive and progressive change?

Sure, we were more social back then before cell phones, and we claimed we liked family values more in the past before sex and violence began to flood our media, but in all honesty, it’s probably just this romanticized idea of what life was like in the 1950s that we love more than the actual era itself. The past had just as many problems as we have now, and overtime we pushed to fix those problems, yet now when we face new social challenges, we don’t seem to think how can we fix these, we seem to just want to go back in time to this romanticized idea of the perfect era that was the 1950’s.

We act like our past was just another episode of the classic sitcoms that America loved back then. We believe that everyone was a bunch of wholesome family people who always had Dad there to make sure that Johnny or Sally got a date to the school dance, where they made sure to leave room for the Holy Spirit. A time when things like drugs or criminals weren’t even a problem.

We love to think of this as the past, and while this is all good, it’s not real. The 1950s weren’t all apple pie in the sky, they were also an era where women had fewer rights, and African Americans had almost none. If you think racial profiling is bad now, imagine a time when you were arrested for being African American and sitting in the front of the bus. If you think sexual harassment and the glass ceiling were bad now, imagine a time where women could only hope to get a job as a secretary or a nurse and sexual harassment wasn’t even a phrase yet.

Now, I’m not saying that we are perfect now, but we have to admit we have gone far as far as equality goes, and we still have work to do. And sure, we all would love to live in a world where people were a little more modest and families were closer, but we can’t keep pretending that the 1950’s we fantasize about as we listen to our Frank Sinatra records and tell stories about the Great Eisenhower, was reality. We had problems then and we have problems now. We have climate change and still a struggle with inequality, and I don’t think that those will be solved by going back to driving heavier steel cars that get eight miles to the gallon and bringing back segregation.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

52051
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

33437
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956274
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181186
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments