The older something is, the more likely it is to be awesome.
Exceptions abound, sure. But consider: every year a whole bunch of movies get made, books get written, buildings get built, clothing gets produced, songs get recorded, and so on. When something is new, you hear about it because it’s new, not because it’s good.
But when you hear about something that’s 40 years old, it’s because it lasted.
Not only is the quality higher, but it’s likely to be more timeless by that simple virtue. Jokes about modern political trends are funny for a week or so. Comedy sketches that are timeless classics are about the human condition or universal experiences.
This is a comforting, even rewarding fact! If you’ve ever tried, you realize quickly that you can’t possibly keep up with the rate of production for anything you like. And if you try, most of what you consume is garbage. But if you let a few years act as your filter, your overall quality of consumption will skyrocket.
They’re classics for a reason.
The Opportunity Machine 