ספר שיחות מוהר"ן אות - שו

Regarding the matter of what people commonly say in every year and at every time — that now times are not good and in previous years it was better, etc. — such conversations as these are well-known among most of the world. We spoke with him about this much. And most of the conversation was: people related much before him that in the early years things were better and easier to earn a livelihood, and now it is getting harder every year. Rabbainu, o.b.m., answered them: In truth, in previous years the livelihood was also very difficult. Only that each one does not remember how difficult livelihood was in earlier years — one only remembers the easier time from those years and not the difficult times. So too in the current year — one only sees the difficulties of the present time, and does not yet see the easier parts that will come later. And therefore it seems as though earlier years were better — but in truth the current year will also not be worse than previous years in the end.