So I don’t really know how to ask this question because I can’t quite explain what I really mean or want to ask.
I am now 30 years old and I couldn’t be in a better situation than currently. My job is fun and providing me enough money to live a happy life and pay my own built house (I am a nurse). I have way more free time than lets say even in my childhood. I remember coming home from school and feeling anxiety cause of exams. I remember nursing school, it was hell for me.
Now all I have to do is go to work and when my shift is done I am off and can do whatever I want whenever I want. I don’t have to ask parents to drive me somewhere, I have my own money, I have my own house, I can play video games all day… and still, I don’t know why but nostalgia is real.
I am not even sure if my feelings are real. I can only give silly examples like coming home from school, logging into world of warcraft with friends and having a blast. But I don’t think it was like that. We were all just in skype and everyone was minding their own business in that game. We had good laughs though.
I don’t know. My life should be so much better than it was 15 years ago but I miss the 2000s era. It all just felt so different. I remember the hot summers going to the lake with friends.
Now? I don’t know. Maybe it is because it seems like I am the only one that has so much “time” and no one really joins anymore. While I have a wife and no kids and most of my friends don’t even have a wife yet (so no kids…) they still are somehow busy and don’t go to the lake anymore, don’t play video games anymore, don’t do anything. I actually wonder what they do all day.
Life felt more exciting back then. Maybe because I had goals and now I am “done”? But this should feel good. I am happy that I am “done”. House, wife, job. Those were the things I wanted back then and now I am more than happy to have those things.
Shit broke in 1974. The middle class was a negligible voting base by the time anybody realized what happened. The rich let the middle class think they were upper class by allowing them to participate in their casino knowing its only so they could take their money. They convinced the lower class they were middle class by giving them loans for houses and cars they will spend their entire life paying off. They keep the truly broke and desperate broke and desperate by creating social programs they keep people poor. You always have it better than someone, and you don’t want to lose that comfort. So the 1% will continue to spread the gap. The 1300 with 94% will be 500 will 98%. No worry though, were all going to die early from climate change. Which you still blame yourself for because the corporations that produce 80% of pollution have enough money and time to convince you it’s your fault for capitalism.
Some of it is nostalgia, but I have to say I do at least really miss when tech was in that 90s-2006~ era.
It just felt like… a much better balance. Enough to bring information across the world, enough to play a fun video game or make communication and business easier but… not so overwhelmingly dominant where it “replaced” a lot of real life.
Other than that, most things are better now I’d say
Check out Kyle Hill’s video on generative AI and the dark forest of the internet. Everything is competing for our attention and fighting for it. Technology has allowed for bots, misinformation, shitty articles, ai generated text to be widespread. There has been a trend to find smaller, closer knit communities that have REAL people as the rest of the internet has become much more hostile.
I believe that spills into everything else around us considering how much of daily life hinges on networking and wifi.
Yup that’s a nostalgia.
It’s part of growing old, it’s part of coming to terms with mortality.
Soon, you’ll say the words, “but music really was better back then, it really meant something, now it’s just manufactured trash”. You’ll really mean it too.
You’ll convince yourself that the crime rate was lower and that people were friendlier, no matter what statistics you are shown.
“We really respected our elders”.
Next up, friend, the mid-life crisis where you think you can get it all back.
Fun fact, the 90’s where 30 years ago
Since you ruled out money and free time. Maybe it’s to do with health and diet? I recently switched my diet and honestly feel so much better. I was the type to eat little veg and high fatty foods before.
In my specific case, definitely not. My daughter was born 13 years ago. She changed my life and myself for the better in so many ways. It’s also been super challenging, but also incredibly satisfying.
I don’t think anyone should have a child unless they absolutely want one, but it has been the best thing that ever happened to me.
Bro, you’re 30. Fucking live it up and enjoy. Shit’s gonna get real for you in the next 1-2 decades.
I feel the same, but also i know i will feel the same about today in 15 more years. It’s weird how that works.
In contrast 2009 was a actually a very bad year for a lot of people. I think what you’re feeling is pretty normal. Try create some new fun, don’t do too much in terms of recreating things except to confirm / dis-confirm memories.
Imo many of the comments here are missing the point, and it sounds like you may not be familiar with the breadth of other life experiences.
That said, I think one of the key things you’ve described is experiences vs things, and time vs loneliness. Having arrived doesn’t make people happy. Having fewer problems doesn’t (necessarily) make people happy. Living in the moment, finding connections, building new experiences, finding ways to help people can all help.
That said, you’re probably also experiencing some existential questions more. The future branches of your life are no longer the focus. Mindfulness can help with that. When life has changed, you don’t feel fulfilled, and you have everything that society says you should have, it’s still easy to wake up one day and realize you’re depressed. It sounds like you’re starting to look for answers. You may be surprised to find that there really aren’t any. And that’s ok.
I don’t think so. Especially if you live in a developing country
I was still a kiddo back in 2009. To be fair, it was actually pretty enjoyable to me.
15 years ago I was a young man in his early 20’s. I was struggling with poverty and an inability to form intimate relationships.
I’m now an old man that is desperately trying to ensure a retirement after living a disappointing existence. This year the last connection I had to a family unit dissolved. I am alone.
I don’t look fondly on my past, it was constant suffering from neglect of a world that saw no use for me. At least in the present I’m unaware of the horrors that await me.
My oldest one is about to turn 14. Man, 15 years ago I was in my mid 20s, at the University. We were out partying on Tuesdays, I learned so much new stuff, I met young and enthusiastic people every day, I was just married… You bet my life was different 15 years ago.
