Tanvi Vidyala, Week 11: The Power of Nostalgia
Nostalgia! I’ve always thought it was a very beautiful word and very fun to say aloud. “No-stal-juh.” I find that it is one of those feelings that cannot be classified as exactly positive or negative. We associate anger, sadness, fear, and disgust with negativity while we associate joy, calmness, gratitude, and hope with positivity. Nostalgia is an ambiguous neutral medium. It feels great to think about all the good things that happened in the past. But it’s certainly painful to realize that you can’t once again have everything you’re reminiscing about.
I pushed nostalgia aside knowing how much unnecessary sadness it caused me a few years ago. I spent all of middle school reminiscing about my younger years that I just despised the present. Of course that might have just been because Thornton was awful in general. But I condemned nostalgia as a useless sentiment and tried my best to fixate onto the present rather than missing what was.
Turns out nostalgia isn’t entirely useless after all! Psychologists say nostalgia serves as a source of motivation and meaning to people and promotes optimism and prosocial behavior. In longing for their past someone could redefine their future as they go through tough periods of time. They might envision their future reflecting their past and in their longing for what once was they strive to recreate their happiness. It was recorded that in many soldiers during World War II, it was nostalgia and homesickness that drove them through the struggles of war. They were able to think of their life back home as a motivator to keep going.
Nostalgia is a self-regulatory process and its strengthening factors are likely why it is a trait all humans evolved to have, much like loneliness which developed in order to ensure humans maintain their survival through forming social groups. Nostalgia is an effective tool in bringing people together in a work setting or in everyday life. Those who are nostalgic for the same events are more likely to empathize with each other and build stronger commitment. A lot of companies tend to utilize this method to strengthen team bonds. In fact, nostalgia can help prolong traditions at home as well. Say you and your family did something special each year for Christmas. When you move out and have a family of your own you may long for your childhood memories and the traditions you kept with them. So you'd do your best to recreate it in your current situation. This is how a lot of customs throughout civilization are kept alive.
Though It may seem purposeless, but nostalgia certainly brings meaning to our lives especially during the pandemic where initially nothing seemed the way it used to be. A lot of people questioned their identity during the months of quarantine in relation to their life before it. Analyzing yourself in this abstract manner can help you reflect on what brings you happiness and what does not. Nostalgia can be the trigger for many self-reflective thoughts which are ultimately very healthy! So I guess at the end of the day I shouldn't restrict myself from reminiscing every so often. No better way to get through this extremely stressful year but thinking about the warm memories of summertime.
sources
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/benefits-of-nostalgia_n_4031759
https://hbr.org/2021/04/the-surprising-power-of-nostalgia-at-work
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-everyday-unconscious/202009/why-nostalgia-the-amazing-power-reminiscing
Hello Tanvi, your blog post opened me up to the power of nostalgia, and how much of an impact it truly makes. Nostalgia is like any other feeling, and all feelings have an effect on the things we say and the things we do. After reading your blog post, I am more confident in the fact that nostalgia is probably the feeling with the biggest impact on self-growth. Nostalgia in a negative connotation can give the person an idea of who not to turn into again. Nostalgia in a positive connotation gives the person an idea what the long for and what would bring satisfaction into their life.
ReplyDeleteHey Tanvi, your blog post emphasized a feeling that doesn't hit me often, but has a really big impact when it does. Nostalgia is a unique feeling in that it expresses a bitter and sweet feeling at the same time, as people reflect on better or enjoyable times that have long past. Though the memories are fun and entertaining, the fact that they were so long ago somewhat contrasts that, eliciting a sorrow of those times being long ago. This feeling can help people find what truly makes them happy sometimes, as it gives them an idea as to some joys or experiences that they have potentially forgotten or overlooked in recent times. So in conclusion, I totally agree with your sentiment that nostalgia wields an uncanny amount of power in people.
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