About this episode

Megan McArdle explores how nostalgia can distort our view of history and affect our perception of the present.

Scroll through enough retro photos or vintage ads, and it’s easy to convince yourself that life used to be simpler, even happier. But why does the past look better the farther away it gets? Host Megan McArdle unpacks how nostalgia distorts our view of history — from the food people ate to the cost of everyday life — and why forgetting the hardships can shape how we think about the present. Subscribe to The Washington Post  here .

People in this episode

Host: Megan McArdle

Topics covered

• nostalgia
• history
• perception
• food
• cost of living
• present
• hardships

Keywords

• nostalgia
• history
• Megan McArdle
• cost of living
• food
• perception
• hardships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Washington Post

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