--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely…" description: "\"Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing cousins. I have no time for nostalgia, though. Nostalgics believe the past is nicer than the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/mal-peet-15262_bad-breath_sentimentality-and-nostalgia-are-closely_1011739.jpg" --- # Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing… ![“Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing cousins. I have no time for nostalgia, though. Nostalgics believe the past is nicer than the present. It isn't. Or wasn't. Nostalgics want to cuddle the past like a puppy. But the past has bloody teeth and bad breath. I look into its mouth…” quote by Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/mal-peet-15262_bad-breath_sentimentality-and-nostalgia-are-closely_1011739.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/mal-peet-15262_bad-breath_sentimentality-and-nostalgia-are-closely_1011739.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ef/mal-peet-15262_bad-breath_sentimentality-and-nostalgia-are-closely_1011739.jpg) > “Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing cousins. I have no time for nostalgia, though. Nostalgics believe the past is nicer than the present. It isn't. Or wasn't. Nostalgics want to cuddle the past like a puppy. But the past has bloody teeth and bad breath. I look into its mouth like a sorrowing dentist.” [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nostalgia romanticizes the past, overlooking its flaws; it can be comforting but misleading. **In simple terms:** Nostalgia paints the past as better than it was. Key Takeaway Balance appreciation of past with present reality. Themes nostalgia memory reality Mood melancholic critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal reflection - historical analysis - media criticism Key Concepts psychology cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of the past do you idealize? - How does nostalgia affect your present decisions? A Different Perspective Idealizing the past can prevent growth and realistic assessment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-breath/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Bloody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bloody/) [Cousin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cousin/) [Dentist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dentist/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mouths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouths/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Nostalgia Closely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia-closely-2202289/) [Nostalgics Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgics-believe-2202291/) [Nostalgics Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgics-want-2202290/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Puppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppy/) [Sentimentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimentality/) [Sentimentality Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimentality-nostalgia-2202288/) [Teeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teeth/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [World War II is smothered in sentimentality and nostalgia. What's interesting about Vietnam is that sentimentality is just not there, so you're given kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/world-war-ii-is-smothered-in-sentimentality-and-nostalgia-what-s/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [From time to time there is a move to do a little less in the way of period dramas, but people rebel. Audiences say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/from-time-to-time-there-is-a-move-to-do-a-little-less-in-the-way-of/) [Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/) > [Never go to a dentist who has bad breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-coleman/never-go-to-a-dentist-who-has-bad-breath/) [Damian Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-coleman/) > [Twitter is cool cause you can be sitting at home & it feels like you're out with people but without the bad breath, eye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/twitter-is-cool-cause-you-can-be-sitting-at-home-it-feels-like-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And Nate? You kiss like a slobbering dog, you have bad breath, and you wouldn't know how to punch the right buttons on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-eulberg/and-nate-you-kiss-like-a-slobbering-dog-you-have-bad-breath-and-you/) [Elizabeth Eulberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-eulberg/) > [I don't mean to be insolent. I'm truthful. I tell the truth and the truth sometimes hurts. For instance, you have bad breath, Lieutenant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/i-don-t-mean-to-be-insolent-i-m-truthful-i-tell-the-truth-and-the/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [To My Future Partner; we ain't kissing in the morning until we brush our teeth hate bad breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-partner-we-ain-t-kissing-in-the-morning-until-we-brush/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I Just got finished going 2 the dentist for a teeth cleaning its important to take care of yo hygiene becuz u don't wanna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante/i-just-got-finished-going-2-the-dentist-for-a-teeth-cleaning-its/) [Dante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante/) > [“Do you know where bad breath comes from? Do you know where body odor comes from? Bad breath and body odor come from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jacoby/do-you-know-where-bad-breath-comes-from-do-you-know-where-body-odor/) [Jesse Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jacoby/) > [If we cry more tears we will ruin the land with salt; instead let's praise that which would distract us with despair. Make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/if-we-cry-more-tears-we-will-ruin-the-land-with-salt-instead-let-s/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“Bruno was a musician with the temperament of an anarchist and the breath of a bartender's dishrag. He gave the lie to bookselling as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-hay/bruno-was-a-musician-with-the-temperament-of-an-anarchist-and-the/) [Sheridan Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-hay/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“His behavior wasn’t helping his Q points at all. He’d been making attempts to engage in conversation with almost everyone, but once he joined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/his-behavior-wasn-t-helping-his-q-points-at-all-he-d-been-making/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [Cosmo sucker bad breath crier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/static-x/cosmo-sucker-bad-breath-crier/) [Static-X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/static-x/) ## More by Mal Peet > [History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“You do not win a war by dying for your country. You win a war by making sure that some poor bastard dies for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/you-do-not-win-a-war-by-dying-for-your-country-you-win-a-war-by/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“This line of reasoning could have frightened him, but it did not. He gained a certain strength from it. Because, after all, what can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/this-line-of-reasoning-could-have-frightened-him-but-it-did-not-he/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Unfortunately, however, weapons of mass destruction tend to attract maniacs: men - it's almost always men - who want to jab the red button…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/unfortunately-however-weapons-of-mass-destruction-tend-to-attract/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Boredom had not been among the dangers that the SOE had prepared him for. No pompous little officer had stood in front of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/boredom-had-not-been-among-the-dangers-that-the-soe-had-prepared-him/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Wagstaff was a trim little man in a dark-blue uniform with an armband embroidered with the words CIVIL DEFENSE. "Thank you, Headmaster, and good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/wagstaff-was-a-trim-little-man-in-a-dark-blue-uniform-with-an-armband/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Let me tell you something. When there is a penalty kick, most people think that the penalty taker is in control. But they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/let-me-tell-you-something-when-there-is-a-penalty-kick-most-people/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Sprawled, bloody, holding the pistol, he looked like a police photograph of a suicide. Dart went back to his chair and picked up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/sprawled-bloody-holding-the-pistol-he-looked-like-a-police-photograph/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“I can explain to you why algebra is useful. But that is not what algebra is really for.' He moved his fingers gently on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/i-can-explain-to-you-why-algebra-is-useful-but-that-is-not-what/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“So? You think people stop talking to you when they are dead?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/so-you-think-people-stop-talking-to-you-when-they-are-dead/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“It still, after all these years, puts frost into my blood to remember that men like LeMay and Powers had their fingers so close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/it-still-after-all-these-years-puts-frost-into-my-blood-to-remember/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Shit! Those sons a bitches Russians!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/shit-those-sons-a-bitches-russians/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“Kennedy was not perfectly sure that Khrushchev was an entirely rational being. He was not absolutely certain that the Soviet Union wouldn't be happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/kennedy-was-not-perfectly-sure-that-khrushchev-was-an-entirely/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“What I'm trying to explain to my sulky little cousin is that we are doing things backwards. We are going from the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/what-i-m-trying-to-explain-to-my-sulky-little-cousin-is-that-we-are/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [“He taught me that language was rubbery, plastic. It wasn't, as I thought, something you just use, but something you can play with. Words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/he-taught-me-that-language-was-rubbery-plastic-it-wasn-t-as-i-thought/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) [Explore all 42 Mal Peet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) ## More Bad breath quotes > [Cosmo sucker bad breath crier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/static-x/cosmo-sucker-bad-breath-crier/) [Static-X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/static-x/) > [“His behavior wasn’t helping his Q points at all. He’d been making attempts to engage in conversation with almost everyone, but once he joined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/his-behavior-wasn-t-helping-his-q-points-at-all-he-d-been-making/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Bruno was a musician with the temperament of an anarchist and the breath of a bartender's dishrag. He gave the lie to bookselling as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-hay/bruno-was-a-musician-with-the-temperament-of-an-anarchist-and-the/) [Sheridan Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-hay/) > [If we cry more tears we will ruin the land with salt; instead let's praise that which would distract us with despair. Make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/if-we-cry-more-tears-we-will-ruin-the-land-with-salt-instead-let-s/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“Do you know where bad breath comes from? Do you know where body odor comes from? Bad breath and body odor come from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jacoby/do-you-know-where-bad-breath-comes-from-do-you-know-where-body-odor/) [Jesse Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jacoby/) > [I Just got finished going 2 the dentist for a teeth cleaning its important to take care of yo hygiene becuz u don't wanna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante/i-just-got-finished-going-2-the-dentist-for-a-teeth-cleaning-its/) [Dante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante/) > [To My Future Partner; we ain't kissing in the morning until we brush our teeth hate bad breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-partner-we-ain-t-kissing-in-the-morning-until-we-brush/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't mean to be insolent. I'm truthful. I tell the truth and the truth sometimes hurts. For instance, you have bad breath, Lieutenant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/i-don-t-mean-to-be-insolent-i-m-truthful-i-tell-the-truth-and-the/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [“And Nate? You kiss like a slobbering dog, you have bad breath, and you wouldn't know how to punch the right buttons on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-eulberg/and-nate-you-kiss-like-a-slobbering-dog-you-have-bad-breath-and-you/) [Elizabeth Eulberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-eulberg/) > [Twitter is cool cause you can be sitting at home & it feels like you're out with people but without the bad breath, eye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/twitter-is-cool-cause-you-can-be-sitting-at-home-it-feels-like-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Actors worry about bad breath, weight, receding hairlines and why their leading lady looks like their daughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-ashford/actors-worry-about-bad-breath-weight-receding-hairlines-and-why-their/) [Matthew Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-ashford/) > [“At the point where he, today's Ivan Ilyich, began to emerge, all the pleasures that had seemed so real melted away now before his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/at-the-point-where-he-today-s-ivan-ilyich-began-to-emerge-all-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Honestly, when a guy loves you, he won't care if you have bad breath in the morning, he'll still kiss you. He won't care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honestly-when-a-guy-loves-you-he-won-t-care-if-you-have-bad-breath-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 106 Bad breath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-breath/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sentimentality and nostalgia are closely related. Kissing cousins. I have no time for nostalgia, though. Nostalgics believe the past is nicer than the present. It isn't. Or wasn't. Nostalgics want to cuddle the past like a puppy. But the past has bloody teeth and bad breath. 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