Why do people say "In these uncertain times"...?

Question

ALL times--for all generations--have been 'uncertain'.

Answer 1

I think it's the way memory works. People tend to remember good things, and romanticise the past.

It's similar to the way some people say things like "Oh, I would have loved to live in renaissance times" -- they're thinking about lords and ladies in silk, not being a dirt-poor serf or getting the plague.

Answer 2

You are correct the present and future is uncertain. However, we can look in the past and know some things for certain. Ultimately. it is just a qualifier which effectively states "what I am about to say is meaningless speculation...like everything else that is going to be said."

Answer 3

I think some people use that term because it can be an explanation as to why things are so f*cked up. I mean, if you say, "...in these problem free times..." and the world is a mess, then we're REALLY in trouble.

Answer 4

.....Time keeps getting more.....uncertain....tommorow's more uncertain than today...
>:-)
Didn't you figure that out?

Answer 5

there just referring to now, why would they referr to the past when there speaking in the now. thats all they mean.

Answer 6

I think that they're simply being over-dramatic.