If You're Reading This, You Live in the Best Time Ever!

Ok...maybe I'm over-stating my case but, despite what the news tells you, things are pretty incredible right now.  If you can read this blog post, you have things better than most of human history.  To be clear, I am restricting what I'm talking about to technology, health care, and other basic level comforts...but by those standards, we have so little to complain about it.

Sometimes people will ask:  If you could live in a different period of time, when would you live?  I would choose to live now!  Maybe it's my technology addiction, but life prior to modern technology seems really unpleasant.  We've got it made these days.  Even if you're not well off financially, technology is so advanced these days that we're still better off than people 10 years ago.

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON STANDARD OF LIVING

I’ve heard people make the argument that this generation is the first generation whose standard of living won’t exceed that of their parents.  I understand economically what that means.  I understand the point they’re trying to make.

But seriously, can we stop glamorizing the past?

Here’s a reality check:

• Computers did not exist 75 years ago
• The internet did not exist 50 years ago
• High speed internet did not exist 15 years ago
• NetFlix streaming did not exist 6 years ago
• Cell phones did not exist 30 years ago, and they weren't common place until 15 years ago
• 20 years ago, computer screens only had 16 colors

Today, my phone in my pocket has HD graphics, high speed internet access, and access to 1,000s of movies anywhere via Netflix. 

Even if you have a low standard of living compared to your neighbors or the top 1%, you have an incredibly high standard of living compared to the rest of the world and human history.

While the media makes us intimately aware of every mass shooting and tragedy in our nation, studies show that violent crime is on the decline.  Maybe the extreme stuff is on the rise, but actual normal violent crime rates are dropping.

Let’s get a bit more perspective…

• Do you have electricity?
• Do you have running water?
• Do you have heating and cooling?
• Do have access to health care?
• Do local doctors use science instead of leaches to heal you?

If you stop comparing yourself to the super rich and instead focus on how much more you have than 99% of humans who have ever lived, you'll have a very different perspective on life.   Just by living in world where you can access the internet to read this blog, you have incredible access and privilege. 

When you focus on how much you have, you become thankful

When you focus on how much others have, you become bitter

If you’re reading this, you have every reason to be thankful rather than bitter and envious.  Change your focus to thankfulness and suddenly you realize how blessed you truly are!