And how have they influenced they way you are today?
2007-01-18 11:39:28 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
"Good old days" are good mostly in retrospect. One who speaks fondly of the old days is really expressing discontent with the present. Our selective memory chooses to remember the pleasant times and gloss over the bad. Today will be somebody's "good old days", in time.
2007-01-18 11:45:33 · answer #1 · answered by mistrhistre 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"The Good Old Days" — the good old days were good for the people who feel they had them because when they lived during them their knowledge of the world around them, of people and their motives, of the fullness of effort it takes to raise a child, of the ways losing a job could tear apart one's world, of the ways the vicissitudes of the outside world and chance could do the same: all these things were limited or non-existent in their minds and experience. Everything was "so simple" then. It wasn't, but they didn't know that. With their experience and knowledge they now think things are so complex, so involved, so... mean, vicious, harsh, unfeeling... and they ARE.
Of course they perceived the past as better, simpler, something to harken back to. And it was somehow purer too, filled with good people and the bad ones were actually really bad! (Because they didn't see things in shades of gray then, things were uncomplicated... and being decent people themselves, many folk got the benefit of the doubt.)
They were no better or worse than today minute to minute except that our society today is a little nicer with more options for those needing something in the way of help. A man with no legs can enjoy many of today's worthwhile things because of accessibility laws. He can even use the wheelchair access in the sidewalk to gain access to the alleyway he will be mugged and killed in. Your mother does not have to make a choice to feed and dress you at the cost of marrying and screwing a man she doesn't love so much and that man can be fairly sure today she does love him if she marries him.
So yes, they did influence me, but just to make me who I am today. A little thing to most, but it mattered to me.
2007-01-18 20:08:17 · answer #2 · answered by roynburton 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "good old days" are supposed to describe simpler times, but really the problems are just different. In the "good old days", people had to do manual labor, many people owned slaves, there wasn't much technology or ways to travel, diseases were much more deadly and common... Are those good things? Hmm...
I mean, the idea that our lives are too hectic now does have some merit, but the "good old days" still had issues, and they are what lead to the problems of today!
2007-01-18 19:45:33 · answer #3 · answered by Yuka 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "good old days" had less hypocrytes,and people were more generally honest and less afraid to talk to you,and try to impose their beliefs on you such as religion,smoking,attitudes about drugs,etc.
Nowadays people are more concerned about what kind of car do you drive,what kind of job do you do,and they would really like to know how much money you really have ..credit scores etc.
People are less interested today in taking their time out to help you out if there is nothing in it for them,such as answering a question about directions,asking a pharmacist about a certain medication,etc.
I have asked simple questions to pharmacist recently and they have been very flippant with me,years ago that would not have happened.
People that work in stores nowadays do not want to even help you out if you have a simple question anymore,years ago..they would jump out of their way to help you out.
People in the "good old days" were more like people,not just simpletons staring at their cell phones,or glued in on their ipods.
2007-01-18 19:48:15 · answer #4 · answered by Dfirefox 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Good Old Days were great, we may not be thinking about the same times but for me, those time have matured and left me stranded here with only thoughts and memories.
2007-01-18 19:43:23 · answer #5 · answered by 0110010100 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A HUNDRED YEAR YOUNG LADY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING "GOOD" ABOUT THE "GOOD OLE DAYS" FOR EXAMPLE SHE SAID LOTS OF BABIES DIED, WASHED CLOTHES ON A RIBBED-SCRUB BOARD IN A LARGE WASH-TUB. HUNDREDS SUCCUMBED TO SIMPLE SORE THROAT, AND JUST ABOUT ANY ILLNESS REQUIRING SURGERY. HAND PUMPS WERE IN STYLE FOR WATER AND THEY USED A STORE CATALOG FOR TOILET PAPER IN THE OUTHOUSE . THERE WERE NO AUTOS AND REFRIGERATION. EXCEPT FOR BLOCK ICE WHICH WAS CUT AND HAULED BY HORSES ON SLEDS OFF THE LAKES AND THE BLOCKS WERE BURIED IN SAWDUST TILL THEY WERE SOLD FOR A NICKEL A BLOCK. IF THE MEDICINAL HELP AND A FEW OTHER CONVENIENCES THAT WE PRESENTLY HAVE WERE THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT. BUT HINDSIGHT IS 20/20. LIFE IS TOUGH EVEN NOW ! IT MUST BE " THE CHORUS GIRLS ARE KICKING "
2007-01-18 19:57:47 · answer #6 · answered by woolly worm 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thats a humdinger because I guess old people back in the "good old days" talked about good it was back in their day, even though there was a war going on but still.
2007-01-18 19:50:15 · answer #7 · answered by slayerific 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How long is a piece of string??
It depends on what the 'good old days' are to various people... totally subjective. (I know that's obvious, but just thought I'd mention it.)
One thing I do know is that it's usually easy to look back on days of yore with rose tinted glasses... I think that we often romanticise the past.
2007-01-18 19:44:14 · answer #8 · answered by Wildamberhoney 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
These are 'the good old days', enjoy NOW!
Tomorrow is promised to nobody.
2007-01-18 20:13:02 · answer #9 · answered by hayward 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think they sucked, but I was a dork in high school.
2007-01-18 19:43:45 · answer #10 · answered by Jason M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋