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Gabriel Rolón, psychologist: “It is valid to recognize happy moments from the past, but what was is already lost”
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Gabriel Rolón, psychologist: “It is valid to recognize happy moments from the past, but what was is already lost”

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Sources not specified Context piece
  • Psychologist and writer Gabriel Rolón discussed the nature of happiness, memory, and living in the present.
  • He cautioned against becoming trapped in nostalgia or the constant pursuit of future happiness, emphasizing that "what was is already lost."
  • Rolón advised focusing on present well-being and future projects, acknowledging that while past experiences shape us, they don't dictate our capacity for present happiness.

Psychologist and writer Gabriel Rolón shared insights on happiness, the weight of memories, and the challenge of embracing the present moment in an interview with LA NACION. Amidst a culture promoting instant gratification and quick fixes for well-being, Rolón offered a more profound perspective on memory, desire, and identity formation.

There are people who wish more to have been happy than to be happy.

— Gabriel RolónDiscussing the tendency to idealize past happiness over present experience.

"There are people who wish more to have been happy than to be happy," Rolón observed, warning against the pitfalls of dwelling in nostalgia or perpetually anticipating future happiness. He described memory as an "enigmatic treasure" where individuals preserve what they have lost, preventing it from being permanently erased by death. However, he noted that these memories are often edited, or "photoshopped," as time passes, leading to the idealization of past moments, relationships, or life stages.

We do like an editing, a photoshopping of memories.

— Gabriel RolónExplaining how memories are altered over time.

"Our parents who are no longer with us transform into people perhaps nobler than they were, more sensitive. Our childhood can also transform into more beautiful places," he explained. Rolón highlighted the issue that arises when individuals become overly attached to this reconstructed past, hindering their ability to cultivate happiness in the present. "What was is already lost," he firmly stated, while acknowledging that past memories retain value by giving meaning to life's journey and efforts.

Our parents who are no longer with us transform into people perhaps nobler than they were, more sensitive. Our childhood can also transform into more beautiful places.

— Gabriel RolónIllustrating the idealization of past figures and experiences.

Rolón stressed the importance of living in the present, urging people not to disengage from life prematurely. He clarified that his critique is not against those who anticipate future happiness but against the danger of constantly postponing the possibility of feeling good in the present. "We are what we do with what was done to us," he concluded, emphasizing that while memories and experiences shape individuals, they do not entirely determine one's capacity to build happiness here and now.

What was is already lost.

— Gabriel RolónEmphasizing the irreversible nature of the past.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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