Art Carden on yearning for the past

“Wouldn’t it have been nice to live in the past, when things were so much simpler? When we were rooted and connected? When we lived in harmony with one another, with nature, and with the generations that came before us?”

You’ve probably heard someone say that or something like it. Nostalgia for “the good old days” puzzles me because quite frankly, they were horrible by virtually any measure. The past is a fascinating place to visit — while reading or combing through historical records from the comfort of my well-lit, air-conditioned office or my well-lit, air-conditioned living room or a well-lit, air-conditioned coffee shop. I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.

~ Art Carden, "The Past is a Nice Place to Visit. You Wouldn't Want to Live There," American Institute for Economic Research, July 18, 2019