Someone at the 25th percentile of earnings today has a better life than someone at the richest 10% back in 1950 and a better life than someone at the richest 1% back in 1900.
I think that's a great question, and I think it depends on what one considers "better"
My personal thoughts are that people were mentally, emotionally, and spiritually better off because they were more in touch with what living requires and how much they could actually do on their own. That being said, technology is great stuff, but I think it has moved us away from some very important things that we need to know in order to feel like productive and thoughtful human beings.
So, I guess my answer is yes and no.
Someone at the 25th percentile of earnings today has a better life than someone at the richest 10% back in 1950 and a better life than someone at the richest 1% back in 1900.
true, but those people were normally happier back then.
Examples?
What are you basing that on?
Think about the quality of life that was common back then. In 1900, even someone in the richest 1%:
-Lived to around 55
-Had primitive medicine
-Barely any electricity
-No radios or other sophisticated methods of communication
-No sophisticated methods of travel
-Incredibly limited access to information/knowledge
I'd much prefer to be at the 25th% today, where despite not being as rich comparatively, you:
-Live to around 75
-Have access to, at worst, basic modern medicine
-The internet/iphones/skype/etc.
-Planes/Cars
-Access to any information you want
What are you basing that on?
Think about the quality of life that was common back then. In 1900, even someone in the richest 1%:
-Lived to around 55
-Had primitive medicine
-Barely any electricity
-No radios or other sophisticated methods of communication
-No sophisticated methods of travel
-Incredibly limited access to information/knowledge
I'd much prefer to be at the 25th% today, where despite not being as rich comparatively, you:
-Live to around 75
-Have access to, at worst, basic modern medicine
-The internet/iphones/skype/etc.
-Planes/Cars
-Access to any information you want
Examples?
When it comes to standard of living he is completely right.
However, a tribal chief was most likely much happier then most industrialized people alive today.
Industrialization just happened to fast for us to get a good handle on it. We didn't know the long term harm much of it could, and did do. We cut down to much forest, to feed the machine. we over fished to many oceans, and poured to much poison down our drains. But we can still come to terms with it, If in are haste for a new power source, we don't "three mile Island" ourselves out of existence first. To be so smart, we sure forget the lessons of the past awfully quick.
Do you have a particular country or region and might you know what century your talking about?You know, when everyone was peasants working subsistence level and people were tied to the land. Was this a better time?
Do you have a particular country or region and might you know what century your talking about?
I was thinking of Britain during the 1600s and 1700s, but I also had an eye toward 3rd world nations today where we are speaking out against sweatshop labor and we only want "fair-trade" goods. I mean, what is the difference between what Britain did back then and what 3rd world countries are going through now?
Do you think people in America around 1788 felt the same way?I've always felt lucky like we are alive during the greatest time to be alive on Earth. That we are at the pinacle of the best of times.
Do you think people in America around 1788 felt the same way?
yeah sweat shops are awesome (I am not being sacastic)
That's an awesome position.Glad to hear it. I think the same way. People agree to work there because it is better than the miserable poverty that they are coming from.