Are things getting generally better or generally worse for people - in the developed world?

Question

On the one hand more people have more things that make life easier like reasonable housing, electricity, transport, running water,etc and a whole range of gadgets that we seem to use but would somone from 100 years ago or even 500 years ago look at much of modern life and see a lot of alienation, loneliness and depression, etc and overall see people whose lives he or she would not envy? Is society improving for some and not others maybe and if so, is the general question ie everyone's welfare and progress harder to answer with a simple 'yes' or 'no' ?

Answer 1

Of course its always hard to make generalizations about large groups of people but here goes:

Rich people have more physical comfort but more mental discomfort because they fear the loss of those things that they think make them happy.

Poor people know how to be happy with less but sometimes the physical discomfort can catch up with you and make you depressed.

Fear vs envy. Which is better? I don't know.

I think we all have the potential to be happy or unhappy and it has less to do with out material wealth than it has to do with our attitudes.

The degredation of the world's natural health is the biggest problem and that is a problem that affects us all in all parts of the world.

One race. One planet.

Answer 2

It is difficult even to generalise, there are parts of the world where it has not changed for 500 years and that actually represents a better situation than some countries that have been exposed to 'progress' especially in areas where 'native' peoples have been displaced by 'colonists'.

In 'developed' countries you are correct about material benefits as an average but there are alwyas people left on the edge who are just unable to grasp the benefits of the change. Fpr these people relative poverty and alienation becomes more acute, perhaps an analogy would be a train pulling away from the station. If your on the train great, if your on the platform all you can do is hope there will be another train.
The challenge for governments is to keep supplying more trains, but they also have to be 'better' to reflect the advancements further up the line.

Those further up the line sometimes get upset as they see others getting a train as 'good' as there's but without having to make the same 'sacrifices'.

You could ask Henry Ellingham (at 111) the oldest man in Britain what he thinks to things compared to 100 years ago, as for 500 years ago I think any individual would be far to amazed to even notice anyone was lonely, especially as from
1507 unless you were Royalty, ruling class or from a skilled trades family life would have been pants. Most days spent finding enough work to earn food, 18 hour working days and working until you died.

Now there's a thought we could be headed in that direction?

Answer 3

Lonliness and depression will definately become more common in the next few decades if we carry on as we are. The world's advanced technology ensures that people don't actually communicate and interact with each other as much as they could, and everyone does things through computers etc. Also, without even thinking about technology, people can cause alienation and depression to others, possibly without even trying. People, especially teenagers can get confused by the fact that no matter what you do, there will always be critics. People are always on at others for something, and there's nothing that anyone can do about any of it. Also, people who pretend that they are depressed, when they are obviously not, and are just doing it for the attention annoy people who are truly psychologically troubled. Global warming is on it's way to quickly killing us all, and is not being helped by the human race. Society is not really improving. All we are proving is that we're just another unintelligent life form.

Answer 4

It appears a difficult question at a glance but in reality there are many little questions to go through before reaching the point. How developed world is that world ?I think we only call it developed because all ( our elite VIps)call it so-we only ape at meanings and impressions( so let our brains go lazy-they think we are here to listen only and then be taken in the waves they create around us!).
What do we need at development- only material needs- only skyscrapers big cars.holidays in luxury hotels , take away food / etc?
Difficult to understand when you see on the other side say at Andaman island natives ( naked and primitive) or those ( at pacific islands?) calling Prince Phillip a God .But careful life is not hard for them they enjoy it much and like it as any who goes to bed without stress or pills .
This is I think too long an issue to relate in some words.It needs a book to explain all this ; not to be understood and called names ( by some experts !)We have to take the story from an unbiased angle and go the common sense line.
I agree with your last words"simple yes or no".
{One more thing you may bear with me ; I think gross errors are committed at 'truthful revelations to caution societies 'Why hide realities when such could create uncontainable problems sooner or later? }

Answer 5

Dude, the more things change, the more we have to adapt. No everyone is willing to make the adaptations, so there will always be a struggle of some kind. Some the more things change, the more they stay the same, the better things get, the worse they get. It is all based on perspective, you either go with the flow, or get swept up by the tide. Am I full of cliches today or what?!

Answer 6

We have advanced immensely economically and technologically,however spiritually,emotionally and mentally we seem to have regressed.It's the decadence of our age really but people honestly do not value morals or even general decency as they did even 50 years ago.Our society unknown to itself is conformed to the ways of objectivism-ie the philosophy of ayn rand and everyone is out for their own self interest- which has led us down a path of unceasing misery.People have become a means to an end instead of ends in themselves.It's rather sad really!

Answer 7

Yes. Life 500 or even 100 years ago was less complex and far freer than today. As for personal freedoms at all levels, the loss can only get worse. Things probably won't get better for society in general. Humanity brings it on themselves, in my opinion.

Answer 8

Mankind is advancing at great speed technologicaly.
There is anough nuclear weapons developed that have been created to destroy every man, woman and child in this planet.
Mankind has to advance in the understanding of Man himself, to prevent that due to a lack of undestanding of Man, someone like Hitler comes along and does the final bit.
Man has advanced really far in sciences and not so much in humanity, we need to bring man to an understanding and respect of himself and all parts of life, so we can fully benefit of the material advances we have made and use them for the survival of all.

Answer 9

I think it is peaking, or has been since the end of ww2, its peaked at different times for different people, but generally got better until about now. In the future I think it will decline for more than it is increases. I don't think my kids will be as happy as me!

Its the age of anxiety! the pursuit of happiness, choice and freedom is making all worse off.

Answer 10

You have to define 'better' before you can answer that question.

If better means, reduction in preventable disease and increase in life expectancy, then probably yes.

If better means a greater share of global income, then probably not, as the patterns of development mean that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.