A Nostalgic Moment
The first thing I do when I get ready to start a new book is look the book up on Everand to see if it’s been the subject of any podcasts. Often the author has been interviewed, and I always seem to get something from these interviews: context for the subjects/lessons from the book, information about the author’s process, or inspiration for pursuing my own objectives, to name a few.
Other times one or more people are reviewing a book, and I can gain valuable information from these episodes, too. I like to know what themes resonate with other readers and what points they object to. For me, it all adds texture to the story or lessons, helps me appreciate it more fully.
Usually the podcast episodes I find are fairly recent, possibly because podcasting in general has exploded within the past few years. However, I recently started reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, and I came across a podcast episode from November 2011, a couple of weeks after the book was released (and a month after Steve Jobs passed away from cancer). The podcast (Hypercritical) has a technical focus on the Apple ecosystem. This episode in particular was a discussion of the book after the hosts had read it. One of the hosts felt strongly that Isaacson was the wrong author for the book (and the wrong person to get unfettered access to Steve Jobs) because he felt Isaacson neither had the technical background nor put in the effort to learn the technical side to provide proper context for why Jobs’ actions and decisions were so important. (I find this viewpoint interesting, although I expect my technical knowledge is not deep enough to share his bias.)
However, as much as I enjoyed the discussion of this book I’m just starting to experience, what really surprised me was how much of a buzz I got from the introductory discussion. Around the time the episode was recorded, Nintendo released their first Mario game for the 3DS and Windows 8 had just been released. The hosts also spent some time talking about a cable broadcast, one made reference to reading the book on an iPod Touch, and the other mentioned his 2nd generation Kindle.
All of this was significant for me in 2011, and the unexpected reminder of that time in my life Inspired reflection on events that once brought me joy. Being up on the latest technology was a huge part of my identity (esteem, growth) back then. What struck me was that I am so far removed from that world these days that during a writers conference last year I was almost the only member of the audience who hadn’t yet tried using ChatGPT. Even though my present self is happily focused on other subjects, I felt like I was re-visiting and paying homage to 2011 Me, and it was a lovely feeling.
Nostalgia generally gives us a boost of happiness. Often we re-visit memories with other people, which can strengthen positive feelings and connectivity toward that person(s) (social). In sad moments, remembering happy times can give us hope for more happy moments ahead (autonomy). Studies have found that nostalgia can give us a sense of meaning and motivate us to pursue life goals (growth) by giving us a sense of continuity in our experiences. Nostalgia can also put us in touch with our authentic selves when we feel we’ve lost sense of our identity (esteem).
Have you recently ridden a wave of nostalgia? If so, what inspired it?
Notes:
We saw an explosion of podcast development in 2020, probably due to people being stuck at home in COVID quarantine.
Steve Jobs passed away Oct. 5, 2011, and Walter Isaacson’s biography was released on Oct. 24, 2011.
Nostalgia and sense of meaning: Nostalgia motivates pursuit of goals by increasing meaning in life, Finding meaning in nostalgia.