Why do most people assume we are at the greatest and wisest point in history?

Question

How can you be so sure there wasn't a race(s) who could put us to shame today with what they knew back then. Look around, look at this site and the simplist of lifes questions are still being asked.
We are certainly ignorant of the basics of life in itself, and in a world that claims to be so advanced (at least tech) how can so many be so narrowminded and egotistical?

( Sorry, not a personal attack ) I meant look at the questions still being asked.
And by most people I meant on a global perspective. I find most people on this site most interesting and open minded !

Answer 1

More knowledge is available now on most every subject than has ever been before. Our access to information is the best it's ever been because of the Internet. Even the most remote sections of the country can link up to the Internet and find any information they want or buy anything that they want.
Medical advances are better than any time before.
As for the wisest I'm not sure our leaders are the wisest people at this point in time.

Answer 2

Ah, but it's important to remember that you cannot measure the accomplishments of a civilization by the merits of its most mediocre minds.

The vast majority of people are largely ignorant of the nature of the universe around them. That has always been the case, and may always be the case.
You cannot simply claim that we do not have an advanced civilization merely because we continue to have fools wandering around.

As for more advanced civilizations in the past...

Ever notice that, if you bury some types of plastic, it doesn't degrade?
Yeah, there's your evidence - any previous civilization that was at least as advanced as our own would have had those such polymers. And really strong polymers, like Kevlar and Nomex, do not disintigrate or degrade. They'd still be around for us to find.

Answer 3

0 -- as we knew we knew nothing.

Answer 4

I don't assume that, why do you think I do?