Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own

Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own

The line "Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own" from W.S. Gilbert's works speaks to a common phenomenon that has been observed throughout history - the tendency for some individuals to idealize the past and foreign cultures while disparaging their own. This sentiment is often rooted in a sense of disillusionment or dissatisfaction with the present, leading people to romanticize a time or place that they perceive as being better or more desirable.