Klexoskleks-ohs

n. The art of dwelling on the past. Your life is written in indelible ink. There's no going back to erase mistakes. But if you look closer, the ink never really dries. Experiences change their meaning the longer you look at them.

There are ways of thinking about the past that aren't just nostalgia; a questioning that allows fresh context to trickle in, like an inkblot painting filling out. You can watch a hero shrink into someone troubled, while a villain might seem relatable. A golden age can take on a darker edge. A wasted year can turn out to have been a shrewd investment.

Time can change your image of who you are. You may turn out to have been lucky when you thought you were cursed, cringeworthy when you thought you were cool.

Maybe it's not so bad to dwell on the past, as long as it brings you closer to the truth. Think of memory itself as an art form, the real work begins as soon as paint hits canvas. A work of art is never finished, only abandoned.