distracts from <the> now

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

Bob wants a fashion designer to mend his superhero costume she once made for him. She:
-- You can't be seen in this. I won't allow it! 15 years ago, maybe, but now? Feh!
-- What do you mean? You designed it.
-- I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.
The Incredibles, animation

Here is a list of examples with "now" as a noun in the M-W dictionary:

: the present time or moment
A lot of things can happen between now and then.
By now, you must have heard the news. = You must have heard the news by now.
The kids are supposed to be in bed by now.
That's enough for now, but we may need some more later.
Things are fine for now.
Fifty years from now you'll be telling your grandchildren about this day.
She's due back a week from now.
We'll be here from now until November.
I promise, from now on [=from this moment and forever into the future], I'll always tell you the truth.
From now on, no one can use my car without my permission.
Until now, doctors had no idea what caused the disease. = Up to now, they didn't know what caused it.

It's always used without the article here. However, I googled the phrase "distracted from (the) now", and it's, indeed, more often used with the article. So, tell me please, what the difference is. Thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

'The now' means 'the present (time)'.

 

[engee30]

The now is the present, and the then would be the past or the future, possibly.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

Thank you. But how does it differ from the dictionary examples I quoted?:-?

Or, if she'd said "I never look back, darling. It distracts from now.", would it be incorrect?

 

[GoesStation]

Thank you. But how does it differ from the dictionary examples I quoted?:-?

Or, if she'd said "I never look back, darling. It distracts from now.", would it be incorrect?

It would not be natural.

You will sometimes see "now" capitalized in this usage, as in the eternal Now.

 

[Vik-Nik-Sor]

It would not be natural.

But still, what's the difference? How do these two differ, for example?:

A lot of things can happen between now and then. (the first example in my quote)

I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.


Why is it natural in one and not in the other?

 

[Tdol]

The first is comparing two times, while the second refers to the looks and fashions of the moment.