[Advanced] Why do we feel nostalgia?

★ discharged  (어떤 장소나 직무에서) 떠나는 것을 허락하다; 해고하다

to allow someone officially to leave somewhere, especially a hospital or a law court

ex) Patients were discharged from the hospital because the beds were needed by other people.

 

★ yearning 갈망, 동경

a strong feeling of wishing for something, especially something that you cannot have or get easily

ex) I suppose it's because I live in a city that I have this yearning for open spaces.

 

★ dub 별명, 이름을 붙이다

to give something or someone a particular name, especially describing what you think of it, him, or her

ex) She was dubbed by the newspapers "the Angel of Death"

 

★ longing 갈망, 열망

a feeling of wanting something or someone very much

ex) a longing for his homeland

 

★ affliction 고통, 고통의 원인

something that makes you suffer

ex) I was in affliction while I lived alone.

 

★ speculate 추측하다

to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain

ex) We all speculated about the reasons for her resignation.

 

★ poignant 가슴아픈, 슬픈

causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness

ex) The photograph awakens poignant memories of happier days.

 

★ trigger 촉발시키다

to cause something to start

ex) Certain forms of mental illness can be triggered by food allergies.

 

★ restorative 원기를 회복시키는

something that makes you feel better or more energetic if you are feeling tired or ill

ex) After a hard day at the office, a hot bath is a welcome restorative.

 

 

Quizzes

Some people find that certain foods _________ their headaches.

Journalists are _________ about whether interest rates will be cut.

The Belgian actor Jean Claude Van Damme has been _________ ‘Muscles from Brussels’.

It is especially _________ that he died on the day before the wedding.

 

 

Questions

1. How scholars conceptualize nostalgia has changed over the centuries. What factors explain these changing views on nostalgia?

2. How might nostalgia serve to increase wellbeing when people experience distressing states such as loneliness?

3. Nostalgia has been shown to increase self-esteem, feelings of belongingness, and perceptions of meaning in life. How might nostalgia be used to help people find the motivation to take on new challenges and goals?

 

 

Script

In the late 17th century, a medical student named Johannes Hofer noticed a strange illness affecting Swiss mercenaries serving abroad. Its symptoms, including fatigue, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, indigestion, and fever were so strong, the soldiers often had to be discharged. As Hofer discovered, the cause was not some physical disturbance, but an intense yearning for their mountain homeland. He dubbed the condition nostalgia, from the Greek "nostos" for homecoming and "algos" for pain or longing.

At first, nostalgia was considered a particularly Swiss affliction. Some doctors proposed that the constant sound of cowbells in the Alps caused trauma to the ear drums and brain. Commanders even forbade their soldiers from singing traditional Swiss songs for fear that they'd lead to desertion or suicide. But as migration increased worldwide, nostalgia was observed in various groups. It turned out that anyone separated from their native place for a long time was vulnerable to nostalgia.

And by the early 20th century, professionals no longer viewed it as a neurological disease, but as a mental condition similar to depression. Psychologists of the time speculated that it represented difficulties letting go of childhood, or even a longing to return to one's fetal state. But over the next few decades, the understanding of nostalgia changed in two important ways. Its meaning expanded from indicating homesickness to a general longing for the past. And rather than an awful disease, it began to be seen as a poignant and pleasant experience. Perhaps the most famous example of this was captured by French author Marcel Proust. He described how tasting a madeleine cake he had not eaten since childhood triggered a cascade of warm and powerful sensory associations.

So what caused such a major reversal in our view of nostalgia? Part of it has to do with science. Psychology shifted away from pure theory and towards more careful and systematic empirical observation. So professionals realized that many of the negative symptoms may have been simply correlated with nostalgia rather than caused by it. And, in fact, despite being a complex emotional state that can include feelings of loss and sadness, nostalgia doesn't generally put people in a negative mood. Instead, by allowing individuals to remember personally meaningful and rewarding experiences they shared with others, nostalgia can boost psychological well-being.

Studies have shown that inducing nostalgia in people can help increase their feelings of self-esteem and social belonging, encourage psychological growth, and even make them act more charitably. So rather than being a cause of mental distress, nostalgia can be a restorative way of coping with it. For instance, when people experience negative emotional states, they tend to naturally use nostalgia to reduce distress and restore well-being. Today, it seems that nostalgia is everywhere, partially because advertisers have discovered how powerful it is as a marketing technique. It's tempting to think of this as a sign of us being stuck in the past, but that's not really how nostalgia works. Instead, nostalgia helps us remember that our lives can have meaning and value, helping us find the confidence and motivation to face the challenges of the future.

 

Answers

trigger/speculating/dubbed/poignant