Will a "Golden age" ever happen again? And if so, when?

[jaedaen]

The answer lies in one defines a golden age to be. I have a buddy that grew up in the soviet union. He says that the American golden age was in the 90s, because we won the cold war due to the dissolution of the USSR, at the same time, we didn't capitalize on it to change the world in any way. That's his perspective as an ex soviet. For me, I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and it was pretty good, but how much of that is nostalgia? I had a good family, and was well taken care of. Would I feel the same way about the 80s/90s if I was a crack baby having to fight off stabbings on the street? I highly doubt it. I don't think this 'golden age' talk is as highly homogenous as it initially seems to appear.

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

Would I feel the same way about the 80s/90s if I was a crack baby having to fight off stabbings on the street? I highly doubt it. I don't think this 'golden age' talk is as highly homogenous as it initially seems to appear.

True, in this scenario, one merely surviving would warrant some sort of fond memories tho, it is a natural aspect of growing up, but in that case it would not be to the extent most others have. To have this hypothetical mentality, odds are (hopefully) one believes the best years are ahead, rather than behind, which is invaluable. It is why one must respect the "old heads."

Indeed the golden era aspect of the US 80s/90s is not homogenous, but it was more widely shared than the supposed "prosperity" that followed in the nation to present.

 

[Exqdia]

My answer to that might be dumb, but I do use it to be more positive.
I do believe that there is no such thing as a golden age.
I think I just look at the past and tell myself it really was the golden days because I'm blinded by nostalgia, and can't remember the bad things belonging to those times.
I tell myself that today is at least as good as those years, and that in a few months I'll be blinded again when looking back at "today".
Then all I need to do is to cherish the present, and try to enjoy it.

But yeah, cool stuff like early minecraft, early touchscreen mobile gaming really were The days...

 

[Rikstah]

My answer to that might be dumb, but I do use it to be more positive.
I do believe that there is no such thing as a golden age.
I think I just look at the past and tell myself it really was the golden days because I'm blinded by nostalgia, and can't remember the bad things belonging to those times.
I tell myself that today is at least as good as those years, and that in a few months I'll be blinded again when looking back at "today".
Then all I need to do is to cherish the present, and try to enjoy it.

But yeah, cool stuff like early minecraft, early touchscreen mobile gaming really were The days...

100% agree. There's no such thing as a golden age, all eras have their pros and cons (admittedly there are some eras with more cons for sure).

You definitely get nostalgic for almost any era in your life once it has passed. I think this has even happened for some of the tougher times in my life (I remember being a young guy trying hard to make it in my career, not getting paid well, driving an old civic, total psycho of a gf in a relationship that had dragged on for too long). I get nostalgic for that time and especially for the really choice good times with my friends and the little wins that happened along the way.