Article
It turns out that for many things, we simply see selectively.
Have you noticed? Why do socks always lose one? Because when both are lost, you basically don't notice.
Why aren't adults picky eaters? Because adults choose foods they like, while children can only follow along.
Why do we always feel that old items were especially well made? Because poorly made ones simply didn't survive to today.
Why are old songs better than today's songs? Because the old songs that weren't good didn't survive in circulation.
Why do we always miss our childhood? Because the troubles we had in childhood are not worth mentioning after we grow up.
Why are nostalgic people prone to melancholy? Because they cannot let go of the past, yet cannot return to it.
Why have beautiful women traditionally been said to have ill-fated lives? Because whether ordinary-looking people die early or late, no one cares.
Why have heroes traditionally found it difficult to resist beautiful women? Because the heroes who resisted beautiful women were busy living their lives, and no one wrote them into books.