Why Do We Love Looking Back?
Why is it so much fun to look back— and how does it connect to uncertainty regarding what lies ahead? We discuss motherhood, memory, identity, and how it feels to have most of life's big choices in the rear view mirror.
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How does the powerful emotional pull of nostalgia connect to that midlife feeling of "how did I get here?" Why do we love looking back?
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why nostalgia increases during periods of transition and uncertainty (aging parents, growing children, career reckonings)
- The psychology and science behind nostalgia and memory
- Why parents often romanticize the baby and toddler years
- How nostalgia can deepen meaning, connection, and self-understanding
- Healthy ways to honor memories without getting stuck in the past
Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
- University of Florida Medical Physiology Online: The Psychology of Nostalgia
- Emily Reynolds for The British Psychological Society: We feel more nostalgic as we get older
- Clay Routledge for the Institute for Family Studies: Nostalgia Reveals the Importance of Family and Close Relationships
- Joe Keohane for the Boston Globe: Why Does Parenthood Make Us Nostalgic?
- Hannah Seligson for the NYT: Being a Mother Is Hard Work. Is It Actually Harder on Millennial Moms?
What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables.
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