- #31
hypatia
- 1,177
- 10
Yes Garth, I do.Garth said:
What is the purpose of nostalgia?
- Thread starter misgfool
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The discussion centers on the evolutionary function of nostalgia, questioning whether it serves a specific purpose or is simply an unintended byproduct of human capabilities. Participants explore various theories, suggesting that nostalgia may encourage relationship continuity during child-rearing or provide comfort by allowing individuals to reflect on positive past experiences. Some argue that nostalgia could emerge from the brain's complex functions rather than being an evolutionary necessity, while others insist that all feelings must have a cause, implying nostalgia has a meaningful role in human survival. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of evolution, with some expressing skepticism about attributing all human traits to evolutionary advantages. The debate highlights the complexity of human emotions and the challenges in understanding their origins and functions, ultimately suggesting that nostalgia might not have a singular purpose but could be a blend of various psychological and evolutionary factors.
- #32
svastikajla
- 9
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I think it's a flawed approach to even speak of 'purpose' when debating evolutionary progression. The traits gained don't really have a 'purpose' to a specific goal. They simply get there by randomness and if the individual that has them gets more children than others, then they persist. They don't really have a 'purpose' to work for a certain goal. A lot of traits we have are also simply by-products of other traits that only in the modern society begin to surface. Like the fact that our teeth rot away without dental care before we turn ten, one can imagine that cavemen had no dental care, this is because this is due to our recent habit of sugar-overconsumption because we tend to like things sweet, even though it's advised against to eat it?S_Happens said:
The answer is that sweet stuff used to be hard to come by and the brain works on it, having über-strøng teeth when we evolved would result into less offspring because it costs energy which was costly.
As a last cryptic note, ask yourself why a lot of people with a chronic chemical depression have said the feeling is akin to nostalgia and in no small terms is it known that 'cured' people often express a strange ambivalent state of the desire to go back to the feeling they describe as unbearable but also strangely beautiful and nostalgic?
- #33
Loren Booda
- 3,108
- 4
For us to forget how bad things really were.
- #34
zoobyshoe
- 6,506
- 1,268
S_Happens said:
Clearly you're more conversant with the subject and terminology than me. Is there ever a case where a trait is properly spoken of as an "evolutionary necessity"?
- #35
Brilliant!
- 18
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That's it! From this point forward, I'm referring to human traits as "evolutionary coincidences", and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me!
MuahahahahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHA.
MuahahahahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHA.
- #36
- 12,178
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Brilliant! said:
Why, that's . . .
- #37
Brilliant!
- 18
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That's exactly the way I was hoping people would hear my name in their head. 