How can we make any rational comparisons without thinking back? Virtually anything worth rating needs some basis of comparison. As a 50 yr old, if I tell you things were better 30, 40 yrs back(say one's lifestyle; overall happiness), you'll likely be left resorting to data/stats, if you want to contend the point. Or anecdotes from people of the same gen, whose recollections you put stock in. Same for me, if some guy in his 70's reflects on how great things were in the 1950's & early 60's.
Nostalgia getting a bad rap("ain't what it used to be." as the joke goes). How could a human possibly exist without it? Try as hard as you might, you can't absolutely control what you will/won't remember. Sometimes things you didn't think you could recall, might revisit a person in their sleeping-dream. There's some mystery here, which might even turn out as buried treasure.
Nostalgia is very interesting. Beginning to wonder if it's a pretty accurate indicator? Take two middle aged people whose lives/circumstances are very similar. Sudden divergence. One has a crash, & his health(just walking) is permanently affected. The other wins the freeken'lotto! 5 million smackers! Guy can't stop thinking about tomorrow, & how he'll p*$$ away(or invest) that sudden fortune. Dude prob can't remember what he DID yesterday, nor will he be thinking back that much, any time soon.
Of course the first bloke will be spending many of the following wks/months/yrs reflecting on days past, when he was in good health(gee..I miss running half marathons, etc...). People who are blessed & busy, would likely find this bloke a drag to have a coffee with.
^So these are extreme differences to simply contrast & tease out a point. Your past experiences will likely prejudice how much im/patience, or compassion/disregard one has for the privileged, or down-&-out'ers. We don't decide the life one is born into. Could be a 3rd W Hell-hole, or beautiful BC.