What if they never existed? The idea we’ve built up about times past is usually a romanticized version that leaves out all the bad stuff.
It’s as bad as dreams of future utopian dreams.
When we’re able to be more critical with ourselves, we can more honestly assess the lens through which we view our preferred past or future.
The more I read history, the more I see masses of people falling into this trap and never realizing where they stand. I see it in lots of people these days as well.