Interesting We Fail to Recognize the Golden Age Syndrome

 

What is this Golden Age Syndrome? Let’s find out.

 

The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be. — Marcel Pagnol (French Dramatist)

 

At some point in the not-so-distant past, every single person has likely listened to a dad’s story. The tale of his boyhood was filled with hardship but was more fun than it is today. Even though it was a recurring plot point, I never paid attention to those stories like many of us.

 

Fast forward to now, and I end up doing the exact same thing with my own kids and their friends. My tales of playing on the streets until 8 o’clock at night. When I would refuse to watch television, have begun to circulate the colony. Watching TV on the monochrome DD channel was perfect. On Sundays, Malgudi days, or Friday’s ஒலியும் ஒளியும் (Oliyum Oliyum) were the preferred choice. People would await the arrival of the cartoons. Friends would converse for hours in person without a phone in hand.

 

As I watch my own children follow in my footsteps, I can’t help thinking. Think about how 24-hour satellite TV has ruined the entertainment industry.

 

A little bit of Flashback

Now I understand where their lack of interest and disagreement originate from. What I am saying and what I am going through have no bearing on them. I can feel the nostalgia, but how can I make it feel that way to someone who have never seen it?

 

Hold on for a second; that has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

 

I logged onto Facebook for the first time in a long time out of boredom. I was submerged in innumerable posts on the perils of social media. Most of the arguments were for reverting to a pre-digital era.

 

It’s paradoxical to me that the same people who are denouncing it are spreading it using the same medium. The warning label on a carton of cigarettes serves a similar purpose. For a while, this made me wonder. I wonder whether the common belief is accurate. The belief that people regard their youth as far better than their current situation.

 

In our childhood, all we wanted was a little of everything. Little adult supervision and fewer responsibilities. Without doubt, those contributed to the illusion of carefree living. The same period looks insane when you go beyond childhood and into adulthood. Move into jobs, management, marriage, and home loans. To my mind, this is what might be an acceptable explanation.

 

A Sudden Flash of Light

I found an old Woody Allen film called “Midnight in Paris” while channel surfing a few days ago. A term known as “Golden Age Syndrome” was first used in this film.

 

What’s the plot? Let me describe it.

 

Though he was born late, the protagonist of the film expresses a desire to have been born in Paris in the Roaring 20s. The protagonist’s romantic notion that the past was a better environment is erroneous, according to his friend and archnemesis, who stands by his words.

 

It seems to me that the movie’s main topic is denial. The denial of the unpleasant present, through the medium of nostalgia.

 

For the entirety of human history, succeeding generations have looked up to their predecessors. They looked up to them for wisdom and direction. A dramatic decline in respect for the past has occurred within the last fifteen to twenty years.

 

My kids and their kids are part of the overprogrammed, time-pressed youth of today. They have a jam-packed schedule after school. From badminton or basketball practice, Carnatic music to karate lessons, and physics tutoring. After that, technology is bound to rule their kingdom.

 

In spite of the fact that they are walking, they do not pay attention to their surroundings. Instead, their focus is on the information displayed on their 7-inch touch screen. Society’s capacity to analyse events and process information has transformed. They have undergone significant transformations that have occurred in a gradual manner. It’s happened without questioning, too. Unlike us kids of the ’80s, they don’t use previous generation as a source for solutions.

 

Where are we headed?

At first glance, it appears to be degrading. Yet upon closer inspection, it also resembles progress in development. Modern Tamil film music, for instance, has abandoned melodies. Melodies of MSV, interludes of Illayaraja in favour of synthesised rhythmic noise. The production value and sound quality have without doubt gone up. But my fear is that we have sacrificed melody in the name of improvement.

 

What was once considered offensive and inappropriate in the field of entertainment has evolved into the standard practice of the modern era. Acceptance of graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, and bloodshed is more prevalent today. This leads me to believe that it’s justified in the name of progress. The loss of something significant is the byproduct of progress.

 

If there is a purpose to this blog, it is this. Those who can’t handle the current moment are the ones who keep staring lonely at the past that seems better.

 

Is it time for a conclusion? Not yet.

My internal dialogue led me to the conclusion. That, in the pursuit of progress, we have sacrificed something along the way. Being able to distinguish between right and wrong has become very subjective. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” was a guiding principle while I was growing up. It doesn’t seem relevant today.

 

Whoever has more gold now gets to decide the rules.

 

We are all dissatisfied now because, everyone’s life has grown dissatisfying. The lives of the majority are completely unfulfilling, while a few enjoy a golden age.

 

Even so, I maintain that the Golden Age Syndrome is not without merit. It’s an attempt at improving itself.

 

What am I thinking, then?

Somewhere along the road, our culture has lost the joy that people in the past had. The intensified competition for success and the accompanying avarice are major contributors. With increasing societal complexity, both of these have reduced people’s levels of happiness.

 

Whatever the time may be (past, present, or future), it will be pleasant and delightful only if we keep it basic and uncomplicated. Instead of becoming trapped in the “Golden Age Syndrome” let us seek out the joy we once had.

 

Starting today, let’s commit to living a life that is straightforward and uncomplicated. If you are interested in learning how to simplify your life, feel free to contact me.

 

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