Sounds like when I left the US for 3 years and came back to everyone being bat shit fucking insane.

Any specific examples come to mind?

I think about this often and wonder if it’s just nostalgia and how things used to be.

Or how some romanticize the1920’s and dream of what it must have been like to live in that Gatsby era but those that actually experienced it might have thought it was just normal.

Born in 91’ and had a great childhood. Running around with those classic squirt guns and grenade water balloons, icys on warm summer days, running through sprinklers. Biking all over town. The late 90s and early 2000s were pure. Movies were fucking good, music - I mean who doesn’t like a little hootie and the blowfish. I’m determined to revive the vibes of that era. Bitcoin can usher in the 90s 2.0.

Do share the deets 🙏

What year had the best culture in your opinion?

We’re wondering the same thing. Constantly questioning if we are just old jaded cynical bastards or if in fact everything is hot steamy doo doo now

Have you ever read Book of the New Sun? The protagonist remembers everything that's ever happened to him and he discussed it a lot.

It also happens to be a phenomenal series. Read it!

It would make for very interesting notes if you would share some of your memories of how it was back then.

I do remember some stuff from my teenage years andyoundg adulthood. Pre 2006 let's say:

We would use 'gay' to insult people and it was perfectly acceptable lol.

Pedophiles were hated and seen as the most evil people (today mainstream society sees them as sick or victims)

Trans culture was not a thing. Coming out as gay was rare and a big event for a gay person.

It was completely taboo for a man to go in the women's bathroom

There was no such thing as non binary. Mammals are XX or XY and everyone understood that.

It was hard to find porn.

No one would talk about racial issues. Blacks were not victims for being blacks and whites were not deemed oppressors.

Giving promotions at a job was entirely based on performance. There was no such thing about hiring quotas of blacks or quotas of women.

No one understood what money is, what FIAT is.

People trusted the government and public health agencies.

I never met anyone that did not take their recommended vaccines. Everyone was vaccinated.

People thought the media was neutral. Their bias was way harder to notice.

Movies were good.

Everyone and their mothers were not on antidepressants or anti anxiety pills.

Buying a house one day and having children was something perceived as easily achievable.

Many people dreamed of making it in big cities. A lot of people were moving from rural areas to bigger cities.

You did not need a passport to drive to Canada.

Having a net worth of 1 million dollars was deemed almost impossible to achieve.

No one knew about Hayek, Friedman, Bastiat and the Austrian school of economics.

There were more white people around. There was like 1 Arab and 3 blacks at my high school. At the time I did not know what an Arab/Muslim was. I am not saying this is good or bad. Anyone that supports freedom I like (black, arab,indian, white). It's just something I noticed.

Almost no one knew that processed food was poison.

To call someone a Nazi/far right was a big deal. That word was used with a lot of restraint.

Michael Moore had credibility

The climate scam was not yet completely mainstream but on it's way.

No one was celiac (gluten intolerant)

No Alcoholic beer did not exist

Weed was illegal

A lot of people did not believe that evil exist. They thought it was just genuine intellectual disagreements

The term bullying was not yet used

No one was Autistic

Going to college was considered prestigious

Yes agreed also a curse due to remembering the arguments they clearly forgot.. and story’s they keep repeating.. one of the biggest things I do miss about old times true journalism nothing like today all garbage

I think they may somehow distrust their own memories and experiences. You can tell, because I see their faces when I make an argument supported on those clear memories.

also means you'll vividly remember the best parts of your life, your children growing up, etc

Not alone. I remember too.

În favor of idiocracy..but it will get better after it gets worse

Me & my best friend growing up still see eachother on a weekly basis. When I tell stuff about the holidays we did as a kid, he just stares as he can't remember anything. He's got the MBA & other accolades, so I guess his brain sucked up more wayyyyyyyyy more knowledge than this here pleb 😅

I don’t think this will make you feel any better, but I have a poor memory and I usually call it a blessing.

I forgive people easier because time heals my wounds more quickly.

I live with less regret because things I’ve damaged take up very little space in my mind.

I spend very little time in the past and most of my time in the present and future.

Basically just substantiating that having a good memory is a curse. I’ve seen other people with a strong memory and it usually drags them down emotionally.

I absolutely agree. I remember the shapes… this sort of person respected that sort of person, you could go and find out about/ask about things in places and be respected even though you didn’t know, that sort of thing. But without the specifics. Now the world works differently, I hate it and the memories seem disjointed and pointless as they are no longer reflected. I wish I knew how to bring those shapes of healthy discourse and respect back into reality, even in a small way, but they rely on an assumption of good faith - which is becoming almost unheard of between strangers. Very sad

I've not prioritised saving memes for occasions like this, but that's the political meme, one where the main character stays still / middle (I can relate), the world moves around them, and suddenly they're a "far right" bigot.