Golden Age

“Back in my day” is the beginning of a sentence which will likely end with an opinion of how that time was better than this one.

Even though some parts of our opinions hold truths, the rest is often due to selective memory.

Otherwise known as bias, selective memory is a great way to beautify the past. “Back when men were men and every man had a mustache…”

The news outlets may contribute to our opinions by making the present seem like a bleak dystopian Apocalypse, encouraging us to view the past as a wonderland, but the fact is that our memories lie as much as the sensationalist newscasters do. We put a shine on events from long ago, forgetting the harsh realities.

The fabulous thing here is: once you know this about the way the human mind works, you can catch your uncle Leonard doing it. You don’t have to tell him you know. You can let him tell you how great it was back in the “golden age” and nod at appropriate times. Let him embellish his story. Let him compare then and now with his selective memory.

Possibly, you can catch yourself too, then make today better by growing a mustache.