Declinism is the “Rosy Retrospection” bias. We are biased towards viewing the past positively and the future negatively, regardless whether the past is factually better.

It is believed that one cause of declinism is that older adults best remember events from 10-30 years of age, when many experiences are new. This causes a favorable view of older memories versus when we are older and may not encounter as many new experiences.^ref