Modern Society: Objectively Great, Subjectively Awful?
This post is a change of pace for me. I usually stick to technical or career-focused topics, but I have been thinking about a specific shift in modern society lately. It felt like a conversation worth starting here.
The spark for this was a Jimmy Carr stand-up routine. He talked about how we are fundamentally misaligned with how incredible our current lives are compared to the past. He made the point that we live in a world that would look like a utopia to our ancestors, yet we often feel more dissatisfied than ever. I started digging into the data to see if the objective facts back this up.
The Objective Success
If you look at the actual metrics of human life, the progress is undeniable. We have reached a level of safety and comfort that was once impossible.
- Childhood Survival: Global child mortality has dropped significantly. What used to be a common family tragedy is now a rare event in most parts of the world.
- Hot Showers: We have instant access to hot water on demand. This was a luxury reserved for royalty only a few generations ago.
- Information: We carry the entire sum of human knowledge in our pockets. Education and real-time news are accessible to almost everyone.
- Societal Growth: Freedom of speech, diversity, and inclusion are at historic highs. While not perfect, the opportunity to succeed regardless of background is greater than ever.
- Safety: Global poverty and hunger have seen massive declines. In a broad historical context, violent crime rates are remarkably low in most developed societies.
The Subjective Disconnect
If the stats are so positive, why is the general mood so heavy? The issue is that while the floor of human existence has been raised, the foundations of a stable life are becoming harder to reach.
Housing is the clearest example of this. We live in a society where a mobile phone, which is a piece of technology more advanced than what put humans on the moon, is affordable. However, a basic house is not. For many people under thirty, property ownership feels like a dream. We can buy the toys of modern life, but the security of a home is slipping away.
Social media complicates this further. It is a powerful tool for free speech and instant connection, but it can also be a toxic influence on young people. It presents a fake reality where we compare our daily lives to a stranger’s curated highlight reel. This creates a persistent sense of lack and fuels depression because we want what others only appear to have.
Breaking the Consumer Mould
Capitalism is responsible for the innovation that gives us medical breakthroughs and technology. Yet, it also thrives on our dissatisfaction. It is easy to fall into a cycle where money becomes the only metric of success. We chase the latest designer clothes or the newest mobile just to feel like we are keeping up.
Stepping away from that consumerist lifestyle is good for your health and your bank account. Breaking the mould that society has created involves realising that stuff is not a substitute for well-being. The pressure to constantly upgrade is a trap that keeps you on a treadmill of work and spending.
The Importance of Gratitude
The solution to this modern malaise is not necessarily more progress. It is self-reflection.
Gratitude is not about ignoring the housing crisis or the negatives of digital life. It is about grounding yourself in the fact that, objectively, we are some of the luckiest people to ever live.
Taking a moment to appreciate the miracles like hot water, clean air, and the ability to speak our minds changes the internal narrative. It is about being mindful of what we actually have instead of focusing on what society tells us we are missing.