3/7/2023 0 Comments Nostalgia meaning![]() “By reminding people of meaningful life experiences and relationships that shaped who they are today, nostalgia serves as a guide for living a more goal-directed and purposeful life,” he says. Though nostalgia obviously involves looking to the past, Routledge says it’s better and more accurate to think about nostalgia as a future-oriented experience. So not only can nostalgia remind us of some of those feel-good moments from our past, but it can also make us more likely to be tolerant, open-minded, explorative, and creative. “When people feel anxious, uncertain, or threatened, they are far less open to new ideas and experiences,” Routledge explains. ![]() It’s when people feel secure that they are most open to new ideas and experiences. “Gaining a sense of security from nostalgia makes them better prepared psychologically for change,” he says. Most of the time, Routledge says this isn’t the case. However, he adds that people sometimes think this is an unhealthy behavior to engage in because “they imagine that this type of nostalgia keeps people stuck in the past and unable or unwilling to accept change.” “Older television programs, music, fashions, and other reminders of the past activate the nostalgic memories that provide that security,” he explains. Routledge says people need psychological security, so when life feels uncertain or chaotic (like in the middle of a pandemic), the brain naturally looks for ways to restore a sense of order and predictability. In its own way, nostalgia can actually help people learn from the past in order to have a better future. “But it also often makes people feel gratitude for the time they had with that person and, importantly, motivates them to focus on appreciating their current social relationships or building new ones.” “For example, losing a loved one is very sad and nostalgically thinking about that loved one will thus involve sadness,” he says. In other words, nostalgia is often triggered by psychological pain because, according to Routledge, it serves to help reduce the pain and “orient people toward the goals and behaviors that help keep them mentally healthy.” “ helps them put your current situation in perspective, gives you optimism that your loneliness is temporary, and motivates you to take action to make it temporary,” he says. “For example, when feeling lonely, individuals are inclined to reflect on meaningful past social experiences, which reminds them that their current state of social pain is not how things have always been.” Does that sound familiar? The benefit of nostalgia:Īccording to Routledge, nostalgia can be a powerful tool when it comes to dealing with unpleasant emotions. This is where all of those rewatches Netflix reported come in. “Experiences that cause emotionally unpleasant states, such as loneliness, anxiety, a sense of meaninglessness, and even boredom motivate people to use nostalgia as a source of emotional comfort,” he says. The second type of trigger is more indirect and psychological, according to Routledge. ![]() How is nostalgia triggered?Ī lot of things can prompt a wave of nostalgia-hearing a song that played at your prom, eating a pasta dish that reminds you of something your grandma used to make, or yes, even hearing Michael Scott from The Office say, “That’s what she said”-can all bring about feelings of nostalgia. Which can often mean thinking about your “losses” as a way to appreciate everything you’ve gained. “Often, a big part of what makes life feel meaningful is recognizing its challenges,” he says. While we normally associate loss with grief, Routledge says that in this case, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “It is generally positive but often includes a tinge of sadness and loss.” “Nostalgia is what psychologists call an ‘ambivalent emotional experience’,” he tells HelloGiggles. While Clay Routledge, PhD, existential psychologist, and professor of management at Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, says nostalgia can be described as a longing for something, it’s actually an emotion.
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