Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in - its a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.
from Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
Here are all the ways in which your life is better than your ancestors :
1. You live longer by virtue of sewage treatment, modern medical care and clean drinking water.
2. You have the option of picking whatever activity you enjoy. There is no imposed lifestyle. Gyms, travel, sport. You name it and the option probably exists.
3. There are no cultural or regional shackles to the food you can eat.
4. You have access to test, vet or pay a premium for food that adheres to your moral or ethical preferences.
5. There is no shortage of calories or nutrients available to you. Cheaper than it has ever been. This is significant.
6. Electricity, pursuit of work we find fuilfiling and law & order makes our existence less stressful for the most part.
What we lost
1. Activity as a necessity for our existence. I get a feeling our ancestors would trade with us on this one.
2. Poor air quality.
3. General ennui over a lack of purpose or meaning for how we spend our time. When you are not slogging for personal survival or are even mildly skeptical about the consumer capitalist rat race, it can be stressful. This is heightened when you generally feel like society is replete with double standards, inconsistent imposition of rules and just profiteering above all else. But this pales in comparison to spiteful rulers, famines, disease, lack of opportuntities and just the uncertainty that has characterised most of human history.
Takeaway
It’s mostly a good time to be alive. Better than most times in human history. Can we make the most of it? Or will we drown in excess and without purpose.
from Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
Here are all the ways in which your life is better than your ancestors :
1. You live longer by virtue of sewage treatment, modern medical care and clean drinking water.
2. You have the option of picking whatever activity you enjoy. There is no imposed lifestyle. Gyms, travel, sport. You name it and the option probably exists.
3. There are no cultural or regional shackles to the food you can eat.
4. You have access to test, vet or pay a premium for food that adheres to your moral or ethical preferences.
5. There is no shortage of calories or nutrients available to you. Cheaper than it has ever been. This is significant.
6. Electricity, pursuit of work we find fuilfiling and law & order makes our existence less stressful for the most part.
What we lost
1. Activity as a necessity for our existence. I get a feeling our ancestors would trade with us on this one.
2. Poor air quality.
3. General ennui over a lack of purpose or meaning for how we spend our time. When you are not slogging for personal survival or are even mildly skeptical about the consumer capitalist rat race, it can be stressful. This is heightened when you generally feel like society is replete with double standards, inconsistent imposition of rules and just profiteering above all else. But this pales in comparison to spiteful rulers, famines, disease, lack of opportuntities and just the uncertainty that has characterised most of human history.
Takeaway
It’s mostly a good time to be alive. Better than most times in human history. Can we make the most of it? Or will we drown in excess and without purpose.