Looking at the past; Nostalgic

How we chose to see the past is constructed by our own views and opinion. The timeline is linear and progresses. The past is over and gone, something we can never reach. Our memories of the past is often idealistic and romanticise. The nostalgic sentiments we have is a longing for an idealistc glorified past. It is not exactly what the past is, because we only chose to see it as perfect, an answer to our present, a way to mould and make out of our future. In a way, nostalgic is an answer to progress and modernity. Amid progess and change, one get lost and cannot help to face the anxiety he will experience. And along this path, his unhappiness and dissatisfaction forces him to look into the past to look for what is lacking. A mother says to his son how she misses the times when he was still an adorable baby and it felt like it was just yesterday. She appreciates and enjoy those moment. We chose to see it that way, that the past is something good and we long for it. Escapism is a good way to put it across. How true is this? The ancient chinese philosophers also did it. Confucius quoted the ancient sage kings as role models. Everyone quotes the way of the ancient sage kings and admit there was an ideal age of antiquity. Nostalgic is not something new. There is always a tendency to fall back into the past, glorifiying the past and loving the past.

Learning this concept, i understood my devotion to the past. The "Romance" in the "Romance of the three kingdom" has its unqiue appeal that i never understood. I never understood the invisible force of the novel that reels me in . The word romance refers to something idealistic. One so perfect, flawless and wonderful. Now u noe y love and dating always associate with romance. The romance in the novel shed light on the issues of conduct and morality. It portrays an benevolent true ruler in Liu Bei, an loyal intelligent minister in Zhu Ge Liang, righteousness conduct in Guan Yu and the display of courage in Zhang Fei. These r qualities in the chinese culture, Confucianism, that everyman strived to possess. This is the "romance" of the novel. This extraordinary people of the past has acheived it and show what the impact they made on shaping the history of china.

My discontent and lost of direction in this current world has made the past particularly appealing. Yet, i do not disregard this society completely. It is merely my way of looking at the present. The past show me the way and what the present is. This is me.