NOSTALGIA ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE—PART FOUR

Duda Owner IONOS • November 19, 2015

Nostalgia is influential, perhaps more so than we like to admit. I see nothing wrong with nostalgia, as long as we do not permit it to rob us of the opportunities of the future. After giving several literary examples of how nostalgia can do that, Robert Trussell issues a terse warning (“Awash in Nostalgia” The Kansas City Star . November 15, 2015, pp. 1D, 12D):

Nostalgia is irresistible. But proceed with caution. ” (p. 12D)

Having looked at what nostalgia is, how it operates, how it affects the business world, and how it affects our personal lives, Trussell’s caution is appropriate. The more powerful something is, the more important are the attendant safety protocols. As we embrace nostalgia, let’s be sure that we are doing so with informed consent.

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