Even though it’s typically the negative emotional states that trigger nostalgia, we don’t always have to feel bad to experience it. “Any sensory stimulus that has some connection with our past can trigger a memory, whether we’re in a good mood or a bad mood,” McDonald suggested, “and because of a phenomenon called the ‘positivity bias,’ we tend to edit out many of the negative aspects of our past, so the memories triggered by a random encounter with some smell, taste, or sound in our environment are very likely positive ones.”
Be it the negative emotions related to the comeback of the low-rise jeans or the joy of dancing to Lose My Breath again that trigger nostalgia, many would likely agree that going down memory lane and reminiscing about the good old days can be quite comforting.
And if it’s the 2000s that you find to be the most comforting time, feel free to continue your time travels by browsing these nostalgic pics and memes about the 2000s today’s kids will probably never understand or checking to see if you remember any of these cartoons that raised the kids from the 2000s.
