Does anyone else think the world was never better or worse?

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Just different. Things have gotten better for now, with citizens becoming kinder, modern medicine, and modern technology helping us in life, but things have gotten worse for plants and animals—and as ordinary citizens behave better, leaders behave worse.

In addition, many of society’s advantages were founded on the conquering of old nations centuries ago—everything has a dark side. But things people used to do, such as gladiator games, would be considered atrocious today—thankfully! As people in power cause more trouble, citizens care more and more about the world.

Does anyone else think the world has not gotten better or worse—that some things are better and some things are worse?

A certain well-known Youtuber pulls a quote every now and thing, something to the effect of 'There are no solutions - only trade-offs' and what you're suggesting seems to illustrate that point in part.

To look at specifics medical and dental is clearly a win, the number of people dying from absesses, tormented by tooth aches, or the number of mothers and infants dying in childbirth has plummetted. The trouble with any society's structure though - as a race we tend to be cruelty-maximizers and it seems like we'll find ways to make any balance of power a relative hell by whatever means we have for doing so, the Darwinian side of life and the constant erosion created by social climbing is something that doesn't seem like it has any solutions. Some situations like we have right now actually trade individual liberty for more systemic damage in that regard and we're slowly seeing the culmination of an economic welfare system based on work turning vampiric.

As a whole, the world is probably "better off" than the "average."

The early-to-mid 20th century was a time which was much "worse" than what is going on at present.

It's my standing opinion that the world is better than it used to be, but that it still has a lot of problems.

Trade-offs and value judgments drive this assessment. For example we have relatively cheap energy that powers an advanced society of billions of people.

We also have tons of plastic in the ocean and a CO2 content of 415 ppm.

The second is a direct consequence of the former. Without oil based energy and materials we wouldn't have the many things we take for granted or the commensurate problems.

I think our problems are manageable, and the gains greater than the losses. Others may disagree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-1RNVvTThg

"Does Anyone Else Think The World Was Never Better Or Worse?"

Of Course that Depends on the Metrics One considers and they are surely Myriad in Potential.

For me at Least, i cannot imagine A Better World; and in Fact i do and Make it Real For me now.

For Others; Considering that the Science of Happiness Claims that Quality of Social Human Animal
Relationships Otherwise known as 'Friends' is the Most Important Factor of Human Happiness; Not so much;

Taking into Account Measures of Human Empathy among College Age Adults in the Last Several Decades
Dropping By 30 Percent and more, Depending on Which Study one Looks at;

Taking into Account, Studies That Do Show that 25 Percent of Millennials Have No Friends and Actually
24 Percent of Millennials Have Not Even Any Acquaintances. It is highly unlikely that overall, most of them
live a Fulfilling Life; just for the Fact that Yes, Humans are overall extremely Social Animals.

Teenage Suicides are Skyrocketing among Females; that's not good.

Opiate Addiction, Legal and Not; and Psychotropic Drug Usage is continuing to gain considerable steam.

Gosh, This is really Just the Tip off the Iceberg; it really Depends on Who You Are and Where You Are and
What the Social Overall Environment For You is as there is also an epidemic of Sorts of Folks In Jobs that
have very Little Meaning And Purpose; Leaving them Empty in achieving Human Potential Where People are
Becoming More like the Machines they Use to Get The Job Done (Systemizing Computers); That/This is also
Correlated with Reductions In Empirically Measurable Empathy.

Just because everywhere we look around, We See Luxuries of Material Items may have very Little to Do with
The Existential Suffering of the Human Soul; Yes, the Real Flesh and Blood Emotional And Physically Intelligent
Soul or NOT.

And i agree As far as Nature is concerned Humans Really Stink Like An Amazon Rain Forest Burning Up the Oxygen to Breathe.

Never the Less, these are the Best of Days Still For Any 'Neo' Who Masters Technology and Grows an Actual Emotionally
And Physically Intelligent Soul, Incorporating the Shadow Side of Our Humanity For Fearless Altruistic Agape Love For
All. It's Possible; but Working as a Machine Day-in and Day-out is not conducive to this; as Science Shows Mechanical
Cognition Represses and Withers away Social Empathic Artistic Feeling Intuiting; Yes, Flesh and Blood Spiritual Mind
Cognition Leaving Out Most of the Colors of Life that Move Us Connect Us; And Help Us Co-Create With other Folks
to do More than Just Survive; Yes Dance and Sing Together; Thrive in Joy and Bliss too; Humans Surely Can and Will Still do this again if they are just a bit Neo Enough to Disconnect from all the Garbage in and Garbage Out that exists now;
otherwise knowns as a very Complex Matrix Way of Culture; Where there may So many Distractions in life You Barely
even get to Fit the Mold of Even Being Human; after that it's all cruise control Effortless in Flow for Human Potential
for those who make the Grade out of the so-called Matrix Metaphor of a System that works for Material Gains as
Humans Sadly, increasingly, Actually become the Tools they create; Methods of Crying Uncle Do Include all Forms
of Addiction now , including both Behavioral and Substance Abuse; When a Person is Filled Up With Serotonin
And Dopamine And Oxytocin Bonding Love Now Who Needs a Drug When Love Rules the World inside and
out. Meanwhile, If we don't straighten our Crap up Destroying the Environment, Good Luck even Literally
Breathing in Generations to come; For Now, For the Baby Boomers, who make it a Short Golden Age to
Endure in a Small Sliver of Heaven That is really Hard to See from Here on this most Beautiful Blue and
Green Living Orb; as there sure is a lot of Hot and Cold Rocks as Far as the Science Aided Eye will see.
Yes; All things
Considered for
one Generation
this is the best of
All Circumstances for Folks who
make this Grade; But At What Price,
Might the Rest of Nature Answer; a Very High one
indeed; for all the Ways prepared Personally for me and other 'Lucky ones'
as Individuals to Enjoy Heavenly Bliss for Just figuring out what works for me and Us;
Considering that many 'Christians' Believe that 'Trump' is at the Value of a 'Second Coming'
And So does he; Just to agree with them for now at least; might as well enjoy the Peace and Harmony and
Bliss while it lasts; Sure Beats Hot And or Cold Rocks As Far as the Science Aided Eye Will See and not Feel Now.

Certainly think the modern world is close to being the best the world has ever been. While the last four years or so have been a bit of a step back for the West, the developing world has (largely) continued to develop and millions have been lifted out of the depths of poverty. We have a great deal of new technology, including perhaps most promisingly incredible advances in solar and wind power that have the potential to decarbonise large parts of our economy using only market forces.

In ten years' time, the march of progress will have continued in most areas. Social and political issues could have gone backwards, but I am optimistic that the US will have another Obama-level president in that time, that Britain will normalise relations with Europe, and that we'll have found ways to make the more dystopian bits of the internet a bit safe and friendlier.