You probably think I’m off my rocker with a title like that! But give me just a few minutes, and you might see things differently.
When we look around at social media, the news, and even the people in the streets, it can seem like the world is falling apart. The housing market is tough, there are wars everywhere, and people seem to be losing their minds. So, how the heck can I say this is the best time the world has ever seen?
Remember, I’m not an expert; I’m just sharing my perspective in hopes of encouraging a more optimistic view.
Let’s roll the clock back less than 80 years, to a time before the discovery of penicillin and modern antibiotics. If you got an infection back then, you would either die or need an amputation. Both my dad and I have had severe infections like these. He got a cut in the tropics that became so infected he had red streaks going up his veins, and I got a Brown Recluse spider bite. (Fun fact: it’s not the venom that gets you, it’s the infection afterward because the venom prevents the wound from healing.) 80 years ago, we might have had to amputate our legs, or worse, we could have died. Today, we go to a doctor, get antibiotics, and what was once a life-threatening situation becomes a minor inconvenience. Although, we should be cautious about overusing antibiotics, but that is a topic for another article.
Would you want to live in a past (a supposedly “better time”) where a minor infection could threaten your life, or would you rather live today, where it’s just a minor inconvenience?
Now, you might say, “That’s all well and good, but what about the complete lack of opportunity for young people today?” To that, I ask, “What lack of opportunity?” Not long ago, I believed the same thing. It’s easy to think the future is hopeless and the world is falling apart when you look at the news and social media. But if we look at things objectively, every person on this earth with even the slowest internet connection has more opportunity than ever before in human history! However, these opportunities must be taken advantage of. Instead of sitting on our phones and complaining, we need to take action and use the resources available to us.
Let me explain with some examples. When in history have you been able to work completely untethered from a physical location? Right now, I’m writing this article from Mexico, even though I was born in the US and my Spanish isn’t good enough to get a job here. When before could you have instantaneous access to nearly all human knowledge with a simple search on your phone or computer? For instance, I can search ‘How to make DnD dice out of resin?’ and find hundreds of high-quality, free videos and articles.
Furthermore, when in history have we been able to pursue highly specific passions and not only make a living, but a good living from them? The ability to be passionate about something as niche as making DnD dice out of resin and turn it into a fulfilling career is unprecedented. Look at Rybonator¹ on YouTube; they create incredible resin projects like dice (something they love) every day, making a life and livelihood from it. This kind of opportunity is extraordinary and has never been more accessible.
Here’s another example that I love: Jimmy Broadbent², a young British man who went from living and sim racing in a shed in his parents’ backyard to becoming a real-life racing driver. He is someone I admire and respect greatly and has been a huge inspiration for writing this article. I recommend watching his recent video, “How I Became A Full-Time YouTuber From A Garden Shed.”² He started out as nobody, dealt with many health issues (both mental and physical), and yet he is now set to race at the Nürburgring as an actual GT4 driver in a few weeks. Not as a publicity stunt, but as part of a team that could genuinely win! He credits sim racing and the opportunities YouTube² offers to create content people want to watch, along with the income and connections it provides. These are relatively modern inventions. If that doesn’t shift your perspective on opportunity in the modern world, I don’t know what will.
So, is the world truly worse? Or has our perception been skewed by the rapid changes we struggle to keep up with? Combine that with the constant negativity from social media and the news, and it’s easy to see why we might think the world is falling apart. But remember, we live in a time where a minor infection is no longer life-threatening, where opportunities abound if we take action, and where people can turn niche passions into fulfilling careers. These advancements make today the best time to live that has ever existed.
I’ll leave you with this question: “Can we truly, honestly say that this isn’t the best time to have ever lived?”
Leave a comment or send me a private message with your questions and perspectives. Direct messages can be sent to me at: https://twitter.com/Tim__Faulkner
References:
[1]: Rybonator — https://www.youtube.com/@Rybonator
[2]: Broadbent, J. (2024, May 21). How I Became A Full-Time Youtuber From A Garden Shed. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk0ofG7kq7U
P.S. Here is an article from me on the power of perspective.
P.P.S. Something that occurred to me while writing this article: With our current society and lacking education system, does increase an in prosperity for humanity lead to a proportional increase in mental illness? I am curious about this because we have progressed from spending all our time purely on survival to having enough free time to ponder our purpose and fulfillment in life. The issue that arises is the modern, publicly accessible education system doesn’t teach any of the essential and fundamental skills to leading a fulfilling life: People Skills, Relationship Skills, Critical Thinking, Real-World Problem Solving, and How to Maintain a Healthy Mind and Body.
Something we should think about. I’ll be writing more on the subject in the future.