Why the world is better today - an optimist view
Are we still sold out to the idea of nomadic existence? Do you want a world where we all have to struggle day in and day out for the basic necessities of existence? If you want to live a life of a paleolithic Neanderthal or a Cro-Magnon, then perhaps you have not learnt from history. The world has changed drastically from the prehistoric and medieval times. We now have the freedom to choose the quality of life that we want to lead. The new-found freedom that we cherish today never existed in the times bygone. Now we can make life choices that never existed before. I am not claiming that we have eradicated unhappiness, but then today's world has also given us the opportunity to become happy again if we choose to do so.
We may not be living in a perfect world, but when was the world perfect? In primitive times, the only happiness that was known to our prehistoric ancestors was being successful in managing their daily food and shelter, at the end of an incessant struggle to achieve them. It is a fact that during the medieval times and later, people frequently lost their lives to hunger, pestilence and war. Millions fell prey to the Bengal famine in 1943. Many lost their lives during World War II around the same period. The population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was decimated due to nuclear bombing in 1945.
Even though war is unavoidable and still raging in some part of the world, we have created a political and institutional order which provides the necessary control mechanisms to reduce their impact and save people’s lives. Food scarcity has been controlled. Modern technology and agricultural practices have vastly reduced the chances of famine, barring few exceptions as a result of governance failure.
Therefore, let us get this right. The world is a better place today, and I am optimistic that it will be an even better place tomorrow. This is because I believe in the spirit of man, I believe in the power of progress. I believe in the healing characteristic of time and I believe in the ability of today’s society to correct itself. These factors combine to make this world a better place to live and prosper.
Let me prove my point with examples. Modern scientific and technological achievements have ensured that we have the benefit of better medical care, better transportation, better communication and better civil amenities. The quality of life and the life span has dramatically increased over the years.
It is said that learning brings miseries, but its absence brings even more miseries. In other words, the more we learn, the more opportunities we have to conquer miseries. The world today has presented us with immense possibilities to enhance our learnings and use them in various ways to mitigate our sufferings. There were limited options to overcome human sufferings in the past, and if my bluntness be pardoned, often times death was the only option to end the suffering. But thanks to the advancements we see in the world today, we have far better control on our lives today than ever before.
Today we can be as happy as we want to be. If unhappiness exists today, it is because of our mindset and our quest for more material comforts coupled with greed. But going by the facts and logic that I have presented today, we cannot discount the fact that the world is indeed much a better place today than ever before.
