Why can’t we stop longing for the good old days

People in many countries are longing for the good old days. But when exactly were the good old days? Podcaster Jason Feifer devoted an episode of his program to this question. The most popular answer seemed to be the 1950s, so Mr. Feifer asked historians whether Americans in that decade thought it was particularly pleasant. Definitely not. In the 1950s, American sociologists worried that rampant individualism was tearing the family apart. There were serious racial and class tensions, and everyone lived under the nuclear threat.

In fact, many in the 1950s thought that the good old days were to be found a generation earlier, in the 1920s. But in the 1920s, child psychologist John Watson warned that because of increasing divorce races, the American family would soon cease to exist. Many people at the time idealized the Victor inn era, when families are strong and children respected their elders.

Why are human beings always so nostalgia for past eras that seemed difficult and dangerous to those who lived through them? One possibility is that we know we survived past dangers, so they seem smaller now. But we can never be certain we will solve the problems we are facing today. Radio didn't ruin the younger generation, but maybe the smart phone will.

Another reason is that historical nostalgia is often colored by personal nostalgia. When were the good old days? Was it, by chance, the incredibly short period when you happened to be young? A U.S. Poll found that people born in the 1930s and 1940s thought the 1950s was America’s best decade, while those born in the 1960s and 1970s preferred the 1980s.

This kind of nostalgia has neurological roots. Researchers have found that we encode more memories during adolescence and early adult hood than any other period of our lives, and when we think about the past, this is the period we most often return to. Moreover, as we grow more distant from past events, we tend to remember them more positively.

Obviously, some things readily were better in the past. But our instinctive nostalgia for the good old days can easily deceive us, with dangerous consequences. Longing for the past and fear of the future inhibit the experiments and innovations that drive progress.

Vaccination, steam engines, railroads and electricity all met with strong resistance when they were first introduced. The point isn’t to show how silly previous generations were. The same kinds of anxieties have been expressed in our own time about innovations like the internet, video games and stem-cell research.

And not all fears about the future are unbounded. New technologies do result in accidents, they disturb traditional cultures and habits, and they destroy old jobs while creating new ones. But the only way to learn how to make the best use of new technologies and reduce risks is by trial and error. The future won’t be perfect, but neither were the good old days.

A study by Harvard researchers found that mind wandering, or daydreaming, consumes an average of 47% of peoples’ waking hours. This brings about the question：If mind wandering is so costly to our well-being, then why in the world are we so willing to spend nearly half of our lives in this mental state?

Creative thinkers know, despite what their parents, teachers and school leaders might have told them, that daydreaming is hardly a waste of time. But unfortunately, many students learn to suppress their natural instincts to dream and imagine-instead, they’re taught to fit into a standardized model and to learn by the book, in a way that may not feel natural and that very well may suppress their natural desire to create. But as two famous psychologists recently noted, “Not all minds who wander are lost”-in fact, the mind’s wandering is vital to imagination and creative thought.

Nearly 50 years ago, psychologist Jerome L. Singer established that daydreaming is a normal and indeed widespread aspect of human experience. He found that many people are “happy daydreamers” who enjoy their inner imagery and fantasy. According to Singer, these daydreamers “simply value and enjoy their private experiences, are willing to risk wasting a certain amount of time on them, but also can apparently use them for effective planning and for self-amusement during periods of routine task activity or boredom.”

Singer coined the term positive-constructive daydreaming to describe this type of mind wandering, which he distinguished from poor attention and anxious, obsessive fantasies. By making these important distinctions, Singer was able to highlight the positive, adaptive role that daydreaming can play in our daily lives, under the right circumstances.

Come to China, enjoying four amazing teas

West Lake Longjing

West Lake Longjing is one of China’s famous green teas, produced in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. It’s renowned for its unique appearance, aroma and taste. With a long history dating from the Tang Dynasty, Longjing tea improved over time, and was offered as a tribute (贡品) in the Qing Dynasty. West Lake Longjing tea is known for its benefits such as refreshing the mind, quenching (缓解) thirst, and reducing fats in the blood.

Enshi Yulu

Enshi Yulu is the only remaining steamed needle-shaped green tea in China, produced in Enshi, Hubei province. The dry tea resembles pine needles and has a lush green color. Its production technique dates back to the Tang Dynasty and gained fame during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Enshi Yulu has a moderate selenium (硒) content and offers health benefits such as antioxidation and anticancer properties.

Pu’er

Pu’er is a unique fermented (发酵的) tea from Yunnan province classified into two types: raw and ripe Pu’er. It originated in the Tang Dynasty, but it wasn’t until the Qing Dynasty that Pu’er tea became significant trade goods. Raw Pu’er tea is initially bitter but becomes smoother and pleasant with age. Ripe Pu’er tea undergoes artificial fermentation, resulting in a rich flavor with distinctive aged aromas and sweetness.

Jasmine Tea

Typically based on green tea, jasmine tea combines the fragrance of jasmine flowers with tea leaves. It dates back to the Song Dynasty when people began mixing jasmine flowers with tea to enhance the tea’s fragrance. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had became a tribute tea for the imperial court. Jasmine tea is particularly suitable for consumption in hot summers, helping people to cool down.