Why do we feel nostalgia? - Clay Routledge

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Nostalgia was once considered an illness confined to specific groups of people. Today, people all over the world report experiencing and enjoying nostalgia. But how does nostalgia work? And is it healthy? Clay Routledge details the way our understanding of nostalgia has changed since the term was first coined in the late 17th century.

Lesson by Clay Routledge, animation by Anton Bogaty.

In the late 17th century,

a medical student named Johannes Hofer
noticed a strange illness

affecting Swiss mercenaries
serving abroad.

Its symptoms,

including fatigue,

insomnia,

irregular heartbeat,

indigestion,

and fever were so strong,

the soldiers often had to be discharged.

As Hofer discovered, the cause was not
some physical disturbance,

but an intense yearning for their
mountain homeland.

He dubbed the condition nostalgia,

from the Greek "nostos" for homecoming

and "algos" for pain or longing.

At first, nostalgia was considered
a particularly Swiss affliction.

Some doctors proposed that
the constant sound of cowbells in the Alps

caused trauma to the ear drums and brain.

Commanders even forbade their soldiers
from singing traditional Swiss songs

for fear that they'd lead to desertion
or suicide.

But as migration increased worldwide,
nostalgia was observed in various groups.

It turned out that anyone separated
from their native place for a long time

was vulnerable to nostalgia.

And by the early 20th century,

professionals no longer viewed it
as a neurological disease,

but as a mental condition
similar to depression.

Psychologists of the time speculated

that it represented difficulties
letting go of childhood,

or even a longing to return to one's
fetal state.

But over the next few decades,

the understanding of nostalgia changed
in two important ways.

Its meaning expanded from indicating
homesickness

to a general longing for the past.

And rather than an awful disease,

it began to be seen as a poignant
and pleasant experience.

Perhaps the most famous example of this

was captured by French author
Marcel Proust.

He described how tasting a madeleine cake
he had not eaten since childhood

triggered a cascade of warm
and powerful sensory associations.

So what caused such a major
reversal in our view of nostalgia?

Part of it has to do with science.

Psychology shifted away from pure theory

and towards more careful and systematic
empirical observation.

So professionals realized that many
of the negative symptoms

may have been simply correlated
with nostalgia

rather than caused by it.

And, in fact, despite being a complex
emotional state

that can include feelings of loss
and sadness,

nostalgia doesn't generally put people
in a negative mood.

Instead, by allowing individuals
to remember personally meaningful

and rewarding experiences
they shared with others,

nostalgia can boost
psychological well-being.

Studies have shown
that inducing nostalgia in people

can help increase their feelings
of self-esteem and social belonging,

encourage psychological growth,

and even make them act
more charitably.

So rather than being a cause
of mental distress,

nostalgia can be a restorative way
of coping with it.

For instance, when people experience
negative emotional states,

they tend to naturally use nostalgia
to reduce distress

and restore well-being.

Today, it seems that nostalgia
is everywhere,

partially because advertisers
have discovered how powerful it is

as a marketing technique.

It's tempting to think of this as a sign
of us being stuck in the past,

but that's not really how nostalgia works.

Instead, nostalgia helps us remember
that our lives can have meaning and value,

helping us find the confidence
and motivation

to face the challenges of the future.