Age Quote by Max Scheler
“Ressentiment is always to some degree a determinant of the romantic type of mind. At least this is so when the romantic nostalgia for some past era (Hellas, the Middle Ages, etc.) is not primarily based on the values of that period, but on the wish to escape from the present. Then all praise of the “past” has the implied purpose of downgrading present-day reality.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Der Formalismus der Wertethik, 1916
Romantic nostalgia often serves as an escape, devaluing the present by idealizing past eras.
In simple terms: Escaping present through idealized past.
Recognize present value, avoid idealizing past.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- cultural critique
- historical comparison
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What present aspects are you undervaluing?
- How can you appreciate past without demeaning now?
Idealizing past can blind to present challenges.