While people do like to whine and complain about everything I believe that life is better than ever. I wouldn't want to live in any other timeperiod.

I voted yes because of the part in bold... Several members of my family would have just died in infancy without the development of modern medicine. Also when I think of the first half of the 20th century I can't help but think of all the wars that took place in Europe during this period... I know there are wars going on in other parts of the world but at least here (Western Europe) it's been relatively peaceful for quite some time, so life has improved here in that regard.

However... I also quite agree with this statement:

I am under the impression that where I live most people have a very pessimistic outlook on life. Many are afraid on what the future has in store for them, xenophobic feelings are on the rise... It seems to me, from talking to older people (I can't speak from personal experience, I'm too young for that), that people used to be happier in Western Europe (or at least here in France) in the 70s/80s/90s. I think life has become more comfortable with new technologies like the Internet, but I'm not sure it has made us any happier. Because of that I'm not sure life has so much improved (isn't happiness one the most important factors in determining whether life has improved?)

Obviously I'm only talking about what I know; I can't talk about the possible improvement/deterioration of life in other parts of the world.

I would say yes. The factors of humanity that negatively influence our lives haven't gone anywhere. People make choices based on ignorance, kill each other in selfishness and hate, leaders manipulate and twist the arms of their people for their own benefit. The poor suffer under the rich, we set disasters up in line to befall our descendants out of lack of foresight and willing blindness. These things all have a terrible death-grip on the world, but the always have. For the majority of us, though, the things that positively influence our lives have improved.

To paraphrase Stephen Fry, every new second is the best, most advanced second there's ever been.

I would say that depends on geographic location, cultural and societal values, and personal situation.

I do think factory work is a real job. What I had in mind when I made the post was the Industrial revolution and the use of women and children for repetitive menial work in textile mills and coal extraction. Of course, that has changed a lot over the past century what with laws to enforce workplace safety and fair treatment. Also, the technology has taken over much the really repetitive and/or dangerous work. I would guess that working in a factory now is probably a much better experience than 60 or 100 years ago.

THIS!
For some people it got worse for some it got better.

Being that I was raised in the US, I would expand that 30% a bit higher.

The stress with westernized life, if you call it that, would be self-imposed. There's a rather large number of people still who don't have the luxury of turning down food, who would be cast down with stones or a gun just for expressing personal opinions that are contrary to popular belief. Owning a computer would be out of the question except from the richest of individuals. This is the case with some of my wife's family in Laos. We certainly life a much better life where the lines of equality and opportunity are far more even as far as gender and race goes than most others, even if improvements are still needed -- we have very little to complain about. The self-imposed part is that we still find reason to think we have it worse off than we really do, and create stress out of it unnecessarily.

Actually, I'd be dead if we still had the medicine they had 30 years ago. I would have died 5 minutes after my birth.

So yes, life is definately better now.
Hail to the modern medicine!

I'd say yes and no. Yes because technology has advanced so far, making things we never dreamed of possible. Yes because while it's still around, racism and sixism has been largely erased. Yes because many countries a century ago were still practically living in the dark ages but now have access to modern things like electricity and running water. Yes because so many diseases that were uncurable a century ago are now minor nuisances.

No, because technology has ushered us into an era of not caring for your fellow man, of being rude and obnoxious to a random stranger that you know nothing about. No because of the immense amount of corruption that saturates nearly every government in the world and it only gets worse as technology advances. No because a century ago we didn't have to worry about the entire world ended in a ball of flame if some country gets to pissed off and starts a Nuclear war. No because a century ago we weren't abusing the hell out of our planet and draining it's finite resource at an astronomical rate.

Hit the nail on the head honey. x

Speaking of which, my aunt would be long dead if it weren't for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemodialysis.

Depends, population growth is sending us near a resource war in the near future or maybe mass famine or something. thats all due to advances in medicine lengthening peoples lives.

Media seems to brainwash people even more.

yes and no, like people say.

People seem to become emotionally detached from the world, hearing someones loved one brutally die on the news everyday really dulls us down. Technology is making it easier for people to look up research and everyone wants things NOW. And use google and otyher search engines to gain knowledge.

Why bother thinking when the computer can think for you?

I wouldn't be able to live in the past, that's for sure. I'm too spoiled now.

no personally my life has svcked since worse with time

The problem is, a lot of that prosperity comes at the cost of less time to spend with families, greater stress due to longer work hours, less stability with jobs, higher cost of living. Obviously this stuff goes in cycles, but that means that there are points in the recent past where these things were better than they are now.


It really hasn't, let me tell you!

Yep. Advances in science and medicine tends to mean that people's quality of life is better, (and lasts longer although that can be a problem), there are more support systems in place for those in extreme poverty, there is less discrimination in general, be that based on race, gender, sixual orientation, illness or disability etc. Obviously only my opinion, as I wasn't around then. I was also only thinking about in the UK. I think that there are more opportunities for those who weren't born into privilege too, although social mobility may have slowed up a bit now, I'm not too sure.

More like a higher standard of living?

Anyone see that new phone commercial yet? Its basically one step away from saying: You don't own an IPhone? You svck.

If you look, you see basic foodstuffs cost a hell of a lot more proportionally than they used to. And while we have cheaper white goods, none of it is built to last any more. I'm just not sure that adding more compications to people's lives is good for their long term mental health. Societal advancement gives with one hand but takes with the other.

What people give up for longer life is privacy and personal freedoms. I do not believe that life has gotten better, just easier.

Corruption is as rampant now as it was in ye olden times. Also, general apathy isn't something new. Consider all the warring city states and tribes and village. You speak different? Look different? I've never met you before? All valid criteria for clubbing you over the head, taking your sheep, burning your house, and selling you into slavery.

Human nature has not changed. It is the same 3000 years ago as it is today. The setting changes, the characters are the same.

I voted no..

The more youre capable of, the more your accountable for.

we can drive cars to work, making a 30 mile commute in about 15 minutes.. sure,..
but the thing is that youre expected to do more because you can now.


Every instance from communications to more efficient manufacturing follows this trend.
The innovation occours.. that is the only time there is any gain.. after that milisecond, the world is referenced to that change, which becomes the new constant.

if we reached a point of singularity, perhaps..
but i dont think that is possible.

I hesitate to say yes, but I will say yes due to several things that lean me towards that direction.

1. Medical Technology - This has improved substantially and has helped out a great deal of people. What used to be a case of "Hand a person a bible let them pray" has turned into "lets run some tests" and "Yes this is curable/treatable." Many diseases that were running rampant are now under control which is great imho.

2. Technology - Even though there are several downsides to this I think it has helped out for the better where it has allowed for better living. Cars are way more efficient and can get better gas mileage thanks to circuit boards. Automation has also helped to free up tedious and mundane jobs allowing for cheaper streamlined products for the masses. Can't imagine some poor soul on an assembly line having to manually screw on like 100+ bottle caps every 3 min or less.

3. Every Day Necessities - Indoor Plumbing, Sewage treatment, Housing, Clothing, Food, etc... has improved substantially allowing for a greater comfort of living only thought to exist to royalty. Even an apartment has basic necessities that would once be thought of as luxuries.

4. Business - It's a double edged sword, but thanks to chains like Publix, and such there are stores out there that can offer up affordable food for people. Person can walk into the Publix near me and purchase like 2lbs of rice for $5 and a 1/2lb to 1lb sac of beans for $3 that will feed them for a week or more.


Sadly there are downsides and Technology has been one revolutionizing war. The Atomic Bomb is probably one of the horrors of war alongside chemical weapons such as mustard/chlorine gas. The Atomic Bomb probably weighed about 500lbs not 100% sure, but it had huge explosive capacity of 45kilotons. Today's nuclear weapons have yields in the megatons with some "Theoretical" bombs having 100 to 200+ megaton yields.

Would say that no matter what century money is probably the saddest thing of all since people need a form of compensation. They need a way to be paid for goods and services then take that compensation to another person trading it for equal value. If you are out of luck and don't have money then you are considered poor with atleast 15 to 25% of the population passing you by considering you a cast off.

If anything, we have a way higher standard of living that gives us a pretty great life.

The past century brought about air conditioning, the car, radio, television, the computer, the toaster, microwave oven, and many other appliances.

The car changed the way people were being courted. No longer did boys go over to the girl's house and meet the family and have a nice wholesome time. Now people started to "date", introducing a whole different level to relationships. The drive-in movie also added to the dating scene.
The car also had an effect on family life. People started to get out more, have picnics, and go on vacations. (The invention of the airplane also attributed to this)

The radio brought families together as they huddled up around it and listened. It also introduced another form of entertainment, along with the television.
Both the radio and the television brought about information being passed to the common man faster.

The computer added a layer of convenience to projects, essays, and novel writing. It replaced the typewriter, which was invented the century before, with the invention of the ink-jet printer in the 70s.
And with the invention of the internet, it started a worldwide information age.

The toaster and microwave oven introduced convenience to the kitchen. No longer did people have to know what they were doing to be able to make a quick meal.

Some small things that were introduced would be the zipper, instant coffee, handheld calculator, and the disposable camera.

The zipper replaced buttons on many clothing, including pants and jackets. It was quite a time saver.

Instant coffee started the trend of getting up in the morning, starting the coffee, and getting yourself that nice morning fix.

Handheld calculators made complex arithmetic into a thing of the past, no longer were scientists the only ones that had fancy machines to do their math for them, the common man had one too.

The disposable camera made sight seeing all more the rage. People wanted to go out and see the world, and show people everything when they got back.

Many complex and simple inventions have changed the way we live, just in the past century. Life in the 1800s was ruled by horse and buggy, railroads, and steamboats.

All of this attributes to the physical aspects, we also have modern medicines that back then we didn't have. People live a lot longer now then they ever did back then.

As for the psychological aspects, that can be a different story. With the computer and the internet, everyone is susceptible to bullying all the time, and at anytime. People who can not take bullying are not going to make it in the world we live in.

The television has introduced us to what we "should" look like. (same can be said about the Barbie doll) People are now very critical of themselves and depression is much higher, along with suicide rates.

Definitely. It's so easy to be healthy and I love running and eating fruits, grains, and veggies. I feel great. However, at the same time I've been becoming increasingly miserable and melancholy as the years progress. There's just so much trash going on in the world that I sometimes don't see the point of even continuing with what we're doing.