Arcadia

/ɑrˈkeɪdiə/ noun

Definition

An imagined place of perfect peace, simplicity, and happiness, often rural or pastoral; a paradise that may not really exist.

Etymology

From Arcadia, a region in ancient Greece, which became famous through poetry and art as an idealized rural paradise. The term entered English as a literary concept meaning any idyllic, simple place.

Kelly Says

Arcadia reveals something powerful about human nature: we're always imagining that somewhere else—'the countryside,' 'the past,' 'the small town'—is simpler and purer than our actual reality, and whole industries (tourism, nostalgia media, pastoral literature) are built on that beautiful, eternal lie.

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