Were the 'good old days' really that good?

No

1 of 1

by Mark Waybill

• 

Write now Print Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites RSS Feed Contact this writer

There never was a utopian time on Earth, or anything close to one. The misconceptions of the 'good old days' are largely nostalgic in nature, biased and localized to a particular region or demographic, and usually focus on the positives over the negatives. While it is hard to find somebody who would disagree that some things have changed for the worse in recent years, it is equally unlikely that one would find many people who would agree that there had been no change for the better.

The 'good old days' is such a vague term, and used in so many different contexts, that it would be silly to try and define a single golden era and place in history. Many people have their pet notions about which time was best, but with the exception of those who lived in those times this opinion is heavily influenced by the media, popular culture and the vague and often untrue or biased accounts of history.

There is a popular notion amongst the elderly that their days were better than the present. And, listening to their various stories set in those fine days, it is hard to not believe what they say. But they rarely focus on the negatives, so let us not forget that there were problems in the past as well as today, many far worse than our present ones. For instance in the past medicine had not developed as far, and living conditions were worse. When one goes back further and further one sees living conditions get worse and worse, and whilst it is easy to idolize the simple peasant life, it is equally easy to idolize the many things we have taken for granted since then, like anaesthetic and free education.

We must not idolize the lives of savage beasts nor those of simple peasants, for this is to cloud our eyes with an uncalled for nostalgia, which blurs the truth. Animals feel pain, and in far more situations than we do. They have no system of fairness and justice. As time goes on society improves living conditions, and thus to talk of the 'good old days' is surely to speak untruths, unless we have since regressed from an apex of achievement and development?

This notion of an apex from which we have fallen of late is popular for supporters of the 'good old days' theory, as it explains why if we go back far enough times become savage and uncivilized, but also explains why our present situation is so riddled with problems. But go back to the 1950s, 1930s or whatever period one may choose to think of as the golden era of perfection, and you will see many problems then, many far worse ones than the present issues.

However the notion of the 'good old days' is not entirely lost, for there are many things which have gone downhill last century and in this one, and it would take a very idealistic person to state otherwise. But considering the things that have improved, and looking rationally at the situation, one has to surely agree that there never was a golden era, and that the only way to achieve one is not to think nostalgically of the past but look forward and build the future.

Learn more about this author, Mark Waybill.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.