Massachusetts voters this week had two chances to watch candidates duke it out as they compete for the only statewide race on the ballot.

The ancient Romans pined for the good old days. The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius reminded himself of that amid tumultuous times, writing that “all of this has happened before.” Centuries later, in 1923, a New York Times headline proclaimed that " American life is too fast”, Jason Feifer wrote for Slate in 2016.