What is Difference between Nostalgia and Melancholy:- Nostalgia and melancholy are general terms, of daily use in Psychology , but are also used in any conversation; either among acquaintances, friends, relatives … For this reason, it is important to know the difference between one concept and another so that there are no confusions.
Difference between Nostalgia and Melancholy
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a desire or longing to return to the past or to repeat that time that has already been lived in an earlier time. It is the desire to recover the time that has already been lost and is often characterized by a desire to return to the land of origin, home, to reunite with the family, to return to the arms of a love or to meet old friends. It has to do with the thoughts and memories of the past. It is very common in the elderly. When a person feels nostalgia, they have memories that stir their feelings and carry them back to their former life.
It reflects a great interest in memories, photography or any other type of objects that have a special meaning for the individual. The memories of nostalgic are always related to specific places, moments or people, that arouse strong emotions them.
Melancholia
On the other hand, melancholy refers to an emotional state characterized by sadness; in case this sadness is very prolonged, then it gives way to depression . A melancholy person feels sad or unhappy about something. It is basically a mood disorder in which the mood decays for a while. Melancholy in most cases has a cause or is caused by something specific.
Melancholy is longer than sadness, but not as enduring as depression. A melancholic person always expects something better to happen in his life and when he sees that it does not arrive, he feels sad. If melancholia is not treated in time it can lead to major problems.
Key differences between Nostalgia and Melancholy
- Nostalgia is a good feeling (although it comes from the hand with a little sadness) in which the individual begins to remember his past and wishes to experience the emotions of yesterday. Melancholy is the tendency to sadness and depression.
- Melancholy is a state of mind, while nostalgia consists of having thoughts that involve a set of emotions associated with each memory.
- Nostalgia focuses on the good memories of the past, while melancholy has to do with the sad thoughts of the present.
