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by weatherlite 1408 days ago
> It's the best time to be alive in general. You can do anything. So go do it and be happy.

Here's a couple of things that actually became harder/worse

1) Buying a house in a main city or even a house anywhere.

2) Pursuing a career without fear of ageism or being fired (people used to hold jobs for very lengthy periods, not anymore..and not always by choice).

3) Pursuing a career without fear of being automated or lose my job due to offshoring.

4) Costs of rearing children are higher.

5) Sticking together as a family is harder due to cultural changes.

6) Having a strong connection to the community where you live is harder now.

7) Sense of meaning in life is probably weaker - people are less religious and more lonely but consumerism and careerism don't seem like a very good substitute.

I'm not saying things used to be peachy 50 years ago, but it sounds like a reach to me to say things have never been better. In some ways they became better and in other ways they became worse. Overall I really doubt the average person is significantly happier now compared to 50 years ago.

I am talking about the rich world, mostly the West. It's probably better all around to be Indian or African now than 50 years ago.