Introduction

[magicmidnight]

I wonder whether one day I can study nostalgia. I mean, in a postgraduate sense. It's an emotion that has kept me in its thrall for many years. When I was twelve, I wanted to be nine; when I was fifteen, I wanted to be twelve, and when I was eighteen, well, you get the picture. I feel the same now, but perhaps with a bit more knowledge on my

Comments

[sadrazam]

Hello again, you! I would ask you how you are, but that would seem a bit... redundant under the circumstances

[magicmidnight]

Hello!

I agree, it is definitely better to be melancholy than to be happy- I find that the latter is all too fleeting. But melancholy is a feeling you can preserve for a long time.

I'm glad you liked the food! My mom still mentions you, you know. I would love to have you come visit. And I would love to resurrect the post-graduation European Grand Tour! I remember being in Debrecen and planning it with you. =) Ah, it seems so long ago.

But yes, I am so sorry for not replying sooner, overtime at work and whatnot, but I am all up for travelling. I have yet to put down roots, and the job is temporary.

Do you have any idea when you could come over here? =) Also, I still have the gopher you gave me!

[phil_richards]

Am studying self-identity in Philosophy for my masters at the moment, and nostalgia is linked very strongly to a sense of identity. Our identity is tied up with so many parts of ourselves, but memory is the one part that all philosophers agree on - our memories make us ourselves. Nostalgia as an emotion then seems to suggest a desire to self-identify, and support the link between current self and past self, reaffirming that each is a true person though different.

As for being self-centred, that seems to be the ground state of humanity from what I am discovering in the texts. Ever seen the Friends episode where they prove there is no such action as a selfless action? Everyone is centred around their 'self', and act as is best for them - not necessarily empirically, maybe emotionally. So don't feel bad for it. We still love you.

[magicmidnight]

Self-identity, eh? Interesting! Is this a taught course or a research masters? I was just wondering what you were writing your thesis about

[phil_richards]

It's a taught course with the open university. It's really very fun in its way.

I see what you mean about adolescence, but as well as being the most turbulent and emotional, it is where you build up your barriers and shields to the world. You deceive yourself from that point on as much as you deceive the rest of the world. So arguably the period before that - your youth where you are most honest with yourself because you haven't been disappointed with the world - due to lack of comprehension mostly - could be said to be the true you. Yet still links to nostalgia greatly.

I hope you can keep up with the LJ updates this time. It's been too long since we chatted, or even saw each other. Where are you now?

As for me; things are ok. See most recent post for more details :-P

[absurdabsurd]

<3