The good old days

An article about how people see themselves, others and time.

"People aren't as they used to be… people were more kind… more loving… but now, everything is corrupted…I wish the old days come back?"

 

Ever heard that before? I bet you did.

So do you think so? If you do then you are in the same mental trap as most people. Let me explain.

 

If you were an Arab at the time of the famine (Year of Ramada), wouldn't you wonder what you have committed to deserve this? And remember with sadness how days were better?

 

Now imagine you are peasant in Jerusalem at the time of the first crusade. What would you say. Pretty much the same. You would think that the times of you father and grandfather were better. And something wrong must has happened so that you have to experience this evil.

 

Now suppose you were an aristocrat before the 52 revolution, what would you say after the revolution? Guess… yeah, the exact same :)

 

The funny thing is, people are the same every time and everywhere. And because they are the same they keep falling in the same mental traps and make the same mistakes as their grandfathers did. And more funny that they always keep assuming that the "old people were better" and that they are the "last good people" :D

as if time is "before them" and "after them". They are the reference of time and events. They forget that their "old people" actually said the same thing.

I remember a VERY OLD ARABIC MOVIE I have seen, back in the 30s or 40th where a old guy says to his senile friends: "shabab tayesh. Bas te2ool eh? Ma7na ba2eena fee 3asr el sor3a, 3asr el saroo5" :D You can bet your money I laughed my heart out at this line :))

 

People have never been better, and they will never be worse. And they have always and will always assume the same wrong concept.

 

You still think people were better? Ok. Have you seen a guy praying in an old movie? Except some old people. How many girls used to cover their hair? Have you noticed how Alcohols were a normal thing? And at the beach, swimsuits everywhere. THAT was Egypt (2eshta :D). You might say: "these are movies". Movies reflect reality. And movies use what's in our world to create what we desire to see. You can also ask your parents if what we see in the movies was real or not?

 

If you are wondering about the hadith by the prophet:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((خير القرون قرني. ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم)) صلى الله عليه وسلم

(Translation: Best times are my time, then the following time and so on) PBUH

I see no contradiction. The prophet was there, shouldn't his presence affect the entire timeline? Shouldn't the presence of such holy men as prophets change the nature of time? BUT not the people. Prophets were sent at times of most need. Why would God send us a messenger if we all are obeying his orders and following his doctrine? But the presence of those great men made the nature of humans around them more vivid, more shining. And also don't forget, people at the times of the prophets and rising religions get more tested and face more difficulties. And on the shoulders of these men religion is built. And history is being written.

 

But why? Why are people always saying the same thing? Why do people always consider their own times and the times before them much better than the current and future time?

 

I suppose the explanation is composed of 2 parts:

 

1) Being attached more to the past than to the future. We all cherish our dear moments with our families. And the times we spent in utter happiness. And even those we spent in sadness are an essential part of our identity. We feel attached to all that lies behind us than what lies ahead of us. Which do you feel more attached to right now? Your father or your future son? The house you lived in or the house you didn't buy yet? What you saw is always real, what you didn't see yet isn't. So you always feel more attached to your past than your future. So by necessity, attacking your past means attacking you, your identity and the core of you existence.

 

2) Fear of the unknown. It's normal, we all share it. We all are afraid of what we don't know. We don't know what might happen tomorrow. It's safer for us to take refuge in what we know. In this case, our past. To shield ourselves from the future. It's normal that we all assume that "what we know is better than what we don't know". We like to stick with what's familiar. And this time it's more on the level of our subconscious than our conscious.

 

But I believe that that people at every time are the same. But I also believe:  

 

1) With time we tend to show more of our characteristic features than ever. It's the rhythm of our time that makes us show more, be more outgoing. So you might find a guy who drinks on daily basis in the same building with a religious guy.

 

2) Under certain humane conditions and historic events, we tend to show different attitudes, emotions and actions. People at time of wars behave differently than at times of peace. You can't consider the first "aggressive" and the second "peaceful". You can't judge 2 different men living in different places, different times and different life conditions. To compare them regarding their "natures" you must unify all variables (time, place, conditions) and monitor their responses.

 

3) In addition, I believe there is some periodic fluctuation in our behavior. Maybe due to some natural elements. And maybe it's based on the accumulation of people's behaviours and their results. Let me explain the later;

Assume that people's natures are calm at a certain point of time. With progress of time they interact together, and as a result of interaction they get more emotional and more outrageous. Up to the point of conflict and aggression. Be it war, revolution, uprising or else. As a result of dramatic events, people get either emotionally exhausted and seek peace and tranquilty, or reach a point were extreme emotions and actions are no longer. So they get to the beginning emotional state; being calm.

 

In all cases, I believe the future holds more promises than the past. And that dwelling on the past for more than learning will yield no positive effect. We can use our accumulating knowledge for centuries to build a better future.

 

Faith is still present, and we still believe. And more good men are on the way.

 

بكى رسول الله  صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد زيارة شهداء أحد. قالوا ما يبكيك يا رسول الله ؟ قال اشتقت إلى إخواني، قالوا : أولسنا إخوانك يا رسول الله ؟ قال : لا أنتم أصحابي، أما إخواني فقوم يأتون من بعدي يؤمنون بي ولم يروني

صدق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

(Translation: the prophet Mohamed cried after visiting the martyrs of Ahud battle. His followers asked him: why do you cry Prophet of Allah? He said: I miss my brothers. They wondered: aren't we your brothers? He said: No, you are my friends. My brothers are those who will come after me, they believe in me even though they have never seen me) PBUH

 

Author's Note

Peace be with you :)
I am a believing practicing Muslim Egyptian Doctor. But I hate it when this always sound like an extremist. I am not, neither does my religion. In another article of mine I am trying to explain more. I hope I can by time change the world's wrong idea about Islam being a violent religion. :)

Reviews

[Calypso]

This article is very informative and I have learned for it. To be frank I don't believe there's such a thing as the 'Good 'ol days'. Good and bad have always been around.