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There's this quirk in the human mind where we tend to think the past was better than the present, almost without fail and pretty much regardless of content. I think it's because "the past" is an amalgam of whatever moments we choose whereas "the present" is whatever hassles are besetting us (which may or may not be imaginary). I suppose it could be a useful survival trait in some scenarios - a deep faith that things can get better because they have been better before. For the most part, though, it flies in the face of data and causes people to make bad choices.
Example: Crime rates have been falling steadily in America for the last twenty years, across the board. Everything from murders to car theft - there's less of it it now than in at any time in history. Really. We had a total change in how we do police work, and it worked. This has been well covered in the press. However, if you ask just about anyone whether crime has gotten worse or better, they'll say it's worse. And this means we make tougher sentencing laws that are unnecessary and costly.
I think the past is dangerous. I like science and technology and medicine. I like more knowledge. I like fast travel and the internet. I like being a woman now more than I would have liked being a woman before. I'm not going to say there aren't some aspects of the past that I try to keep alive in the present because, on consideration, they're best practices - but this is rather different to preferring the past, when every (some, a few) family had a chicken in the pot, every (some) man could support his family with a (sometimes) good job, and we were all (a few of us) god-fearing and a nation (never) ordained by the holy father to be a shepherd for the world. Or, to turn it around, when (some) independent film was really independent film and (a few male) artists were respected and (occasionally) honest about the world and art (which art) was more vital and lasting.
My mantra lately has been "How lucky we are to live in this time," drawn from Carl Sagan. It could almost as easily be "We can rebuild it. Better, stronger, faster. We have the technology."
"How lucky we are to live in this time." It's been very helpful.
Example: Crime rates have been falling steadily in America for the last twenty years, across the board. Everything from murders to car theft - there's less of it it now than in at any time in history. Really. We had a total change in how we do police work, and it worked. This has been well covered in the press. However, if you ask just about anyone whether crime has gotten worse or better, they'll say it's worse. And this means we make tougher sentencing laws that are unnecessary and costly.
I think the past is dangerous. I like science and technology and medicine. I like more knowledge. I like fast travel and the internet. I like being a woman now more than I would have liked being a woman before. I'm not going to say there aren't some aspects of the past that I try to keep alive in the present because, on consideration, they're best practices - but this is rather different to preferring the past, when every (some, a few) family had a chicken in the pot, every (some) man could support his family with a (sometimes) good job, and we were all (a few of us) god-fearing and a nation (never) ordained by the holy father to be a shepherd for the world. Or, to turn it around, when (some) independent film was really independent film and (a few male) artists were respected and (occasionally) honest about the world and art (which art) was more vital and lasting.
My mantra lately has been "How lucky we are to live in this time," drawn from Carl Sagan. It could almost as easily be "We can rebuild it. Better, stronger, faster. We have the technology."
"How lucky we are to live in this time." It's been very helpful.
