The word "nostalgia" comes from Greek. "Nostos" means "to return home," while "algos" refers to "pain."
In the past, the cure for homesickness was simply to return home. Sometimes, just the promise of returning could ease a patientโs distress.
However, over time, homesickness evolved beyond merely wanting to return home. People realized they were not just longing for a physical place, but for a specific moment in time. Time cannot be revisited like a place can. Thus, homesickness became to that unfulfilled longing.
We selectively ignore what should be forgotten, and rearrange our desires to create our ideal version of the past.
Consequently, the past we long for appears simple, pure, comforting, and harmonious. In contrast, our current reality feels chaotic, messy, challenging and burdensome.