I see many old people who praise the past and frustrate with the present.
“Those days were paradise, clean air, no scarcity, people were good and honest, women were obedient. But nowadays everything is deteriorated compare to the past, the whole life is machine….”
But truth is every grown up man has positive view about his past and negative view about his current days. Men belong to all the centuries feel the same.
I read few short stories of ‘Pudumaipittan’, (Tamil literature). The stories I read were written around the life and society of Tamilnadu, especially Madras/Chennai during second world war (Before Independence). Pudumaipittan criticize the poverty, hypocrisy of the society. In between lines he satires the politicians of his day. The society he depicted is not much different from my society in terms of attitude towards fellow human being.
Apart from the scientific progress through the centuries, Human attitude is not changed in all the times.
Praising the past is meaningless, apart from technological comforts to those who can avail it, the past and the present are same in the attitude towards life. If past were paradise, no need for Bhudda or Mahavira and other spiritual leaders.
Why still people praise the past? It has to be studied in different view.
If you watch the kids or boys or youths, they do not praise the past. They enjoy the present. when the same youngsters, grow up as middle age or old people they started praising the past. At least they praise their boyhood and youthful periods.
So, praising the past is psychological rather than living standard or life style issue.
For everybody till their youth life is carefree. The overall mood is happiness. From middle age onwards commitment, needs, chasing the time and stress are become ingredients of life. The overall mood is frustration, a sense of disgruntled.
Those who enjoy the current life never praise the past. Those who last the happiness in current life, think old is gold.
No kid or boy or youngster praise the past.