Why we need nostalgia, especially in the hard times

From AirTalk with Larry Mantle: 

Nostalgia is a term that we all have a relationship with, of some kind. For some of us it’s even a personality trait, like extroversion. For others, it’s a kind of tool that we use to curate our style or inform how we move through the world. Take Gen Z for example, who are drawing upon the aesthetic of the 90s and early 2000s as creative inspiration and even guidance in how they interact with technology. Even though nostalgia is ubiquitous, there are still a lot of misconceptions around what nostalgia is and how it’s used. Is it used to escape the present moment? Why do we idealize the past? And why do we tend towards nostalgia during particularly trying times?

Joining us today on AirTalk is Clay Routledge, psychologist and author of the book Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life (Sounds True, 2023); joining us from Arkansas.

Listen to the episode (16:47).