13 Wistful Quotes About Nostalgia
Memory is a great gift. Calling back moments of joy, from a loved one’s wedding to a favorite concert, keeps us close to those happy experiences long after they end. Nostalgia, meanwhile, is a particularly potent form of memory, and one that tends to be bittersweet, as it often comes with a pang of sadness from longing to return to the past.
At its best, nostalgia lets us appreciate what we’ve had; in yearning for the way things once were, we understand how lucky we’ve been. That fond recollection can even be a call to action: When we remember those moments when we felt most alive, we might seek out more of that feeling, filling our lives with experiences to treasure.
It’s important, though, not to let remembering tip over into regressing, as memory can be an unreliable narrator. As Marcel Proust wrote, “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”
Nostalgia can make us view the past with rose-colored glasses, glossing over the hard times while fixating on the good. While looking back is nice to do every now and again, too much of it can blind us to the good parts of our current lives, preventing us from living fully in the present.
Nostalgia, like many things in life, is a powerful force that may be best in moderation. Below, we’ve collected quotes that contemplate the blessings, drawbacks, and quirks of taking that sentimental stroll down memory lane.
