Thinking about the past is something I have done since I was a kid and I have no idea why; I just know that I have always loved history and to compare life in the past with life nowadays. Even in my childhood I read many history books although it is not common someone so young do it. I have always loved the entire new world that history can bring to us and how we can travel throughout so many different lifestyles without even leaving home.
Then, I grew up, started to attend college and pursued other hobbies and studies, but history has always been with me even though I have never professionally worked with it. However, I still think that history is a wonderful tool to decision making because it gives a chance of learning with past mistakes. I know that it is not really healthy to live in the past and I consider it that I have done it for a while in my younger days, but those days have been gone for a long time.
Thinking about the future is tempting for most of us, but I never did it too often because it causes anxiety and the truth is that we have no control over the future. All we can do is living in the best way and hope that it will bring back good things, but nothing is certain. On the other hand, we suffer for thinking too much about the past exactly because it is so certain. It is certain we cannot change it, all is there, fixed, it is over even if we do the very same things all over again because now is already a different moment and it will cause different consequences. The ability of moving on is very important for human happiness and knowing how much we should stick to the past is an art.
So by nature, I have spent much more time thinking about the past than the future because I am a historian at heart. There is also a touch of escapism in it. Many people like to think about the past as an ideal place when things were so much simpler and easier, a place where we can somehow return in case things go wrong right now. “The grass is always greener on the other side”, according to the saying. We all want a place to rest when feeling tired, somewhere safe and for some people the safety can be the past.
But past thoughts can also be useful for us to cherish what we have nowadays, how much people fought and obtained throughout the eras and how in many regards we are much luckier than our ancestors. We have a bigger lifespan, better health care and comfort standards, among many other things. We can study, get better informed and it means that, no matter how problematic is, we will always have alternatives to make life happier and more comfortable. So, thinking about the past can be a very positive activity whenever it is used wisely.
Silent Beauties 