The past was not that cute

Not necessarily. They are also times of cultural decline. Late roman live was more comfortable than some time in the middle ages.

People arbitrarily point at periods in the past to say they were worse or better. Some people idealize the Middle Ages over Rome. A Ren Faire is a hodgepodge of Medieval/Renaissance larping. But the past as a sum total is usually worse, hence the concept of progress. While the beginning of someone’s life is usually best and the end is worse. Historically speaking it’s complicated.