Has anyone else thought much about how completely abnormal, from a historical perspective, life in the 21st century is?

[PA19062024]

Everything about modern life is just so completely wrong and strange. We have a situation where, at any moment, millions of people could instantly die at the turning of a couple of keys at some missile base somewhere, when ordered to do so by some senile "world leader". People froth at the mouth over text on an electronic screen that some stranger half a world away posted on this thing called 'The Internet', while others are confused about what gender they are when all they have to do to settle the question is just look between their legs. We have naive young people who don't know any better openly supporting communism, while everyone else is deeply nostalgic for a past that only ever existed in their imagination because life now has become unbearable, even though from a purely material perspective things have never been better. In some countries (like Canada) the government has no issue with murdering its own citizens (euthanasia), while in others (Australia, England) the police act like the Gestapo when someone just expresses an opinion that isn't politically correct. In many nations people now actually accept constant surveillance if in return they're promised, by their government, security and safety.

This isn't normal. For most of man's history, things just weren't like this. What went wrong, how did we end up this way?

This question is just too deep for a site like GAG.

I've often wondered the same.

Something else?

[andreasderjuengere]

I wondered - yes.

Anyhow - to be unable to adjust to changes simply because ''we'' prefer the old way (often, the only thing that people feel stable with, or which they comprehend) would counteract cultural evolution.

After each high tide there will be a low tide.

Indeed, I also find this century absurd up to now. I know some of the previous one. But I wonder about the very younger people who never have seen something different.

Myself, I had not experienced stuff that's older than -say - the 1920's (some was reported by granddad, though). I for myself would have been frowned upon by a member of the 18th century or earlier...

Also: our planet is large. And some of the bullshit going on ''here'' is under control someplace else. BUT: the ''western'' way - unrightfully lead and dominated by the U. S. - is deteriorating, decadent and overused/out-used... about to fail - and that includes the ''old ways''.

It has nothing to do with ''political'' positions, ''morals'' or ''quality'', but more with a burnt-out fire for which people missed to collect spare fire-wood (so-to-say).

''We'' can't blame the latest generation/s, because WE! were the ones who made and raised them :D (''we'': as in your and my generation span). And ''WE!" did not prevent things to unroll the way they do. We had the ''Hippies'', the ''Student protesters'', ''subculture'', ''alternative living'' and such - but ''we'' had failed to convince. At least we have tried - and some of us carry on, regardless of mainstream stuff.

There will be better times again - but I won't see them.

[_piotr]

Humanity became polluted with toxic ideologies like wokeness. This is where communism, euthanasia, social-media censorship and other evil things comes from.

[exitseven]

Modern life is running counter to what thousands of years of evolution has created. We eat processed foods because society decides it is more economical, we have people who encourage sex change surgeries, we created a sedentary lifestyle where people sit in front of screens instead of engage in physical activity and we have a society where money is valued above everything else.

[Jersey2]

Technology changed us completely. Taking to people from half a world away on the daily basis, women working outside the home, online porn available 24x7, the push for material things, access to capital for most people, access to transportation around the world for many people, education available online via youtube, so much has changed in just the past 100 years not to mention 200 years.

[Dargil]

It isn't.