Considering things like modern medicine not being available, infant and child mortality, the gruesome nature of most work back then… would a “standard” commoner from back then laugh at how ‘soft’ our world has become from their point of view?
What can we infer from people’s mindsets and resilience back then vs now, and do you think we’re on the verge of a return to these conditions?
I think techno-feudalism has the capacity to be much more brutal than any old time machiavellan clown. The way our minds are deliberately manipulated by algorithms nowadays are much more subtle and insidious than anything the tyrants of yesteryear could’ve dreamt up, while at the same time convincing people they have it better than ever.
We’d have less tolerance to suffering. But we’re also way healthier so our bodies would be stronger and faster.
Physically, most of us are way weaker and in worse physical shape. (Look at old time photos for far people, or sideshow people labelled as “world’s fattest man” who would not raise an eyebrow lumbering through walmart these days.) I wonder how the balance of more manual work vs our sedentary and fatty lifestyles would play out.
I also think folks were more ready to die or get hurt as that’s just how things happened, so probably more willing to be beaten as part of a strike etc.
Want the honest truth? Except for our current politics they would have been amazed, astounded, and hopeful for thr future. Medicine, science, technology have all made quantum leaps. Quality of life has to. They would be happy we don’t have to kill each other for resources.
I also think that, after getting up to speed, they’d fight pretty hard against measures that are meant to backslide us to that point again.
would a “standard” commoner from back then laugh at how ‘soft’ our world has become from their point of view?
No, they’d either want the same or they’d think we’re evil magicians and want to burn us at the stake. Who tf wants more infant mortality (except for US Republicans and their ilk).
“Ah yes, dying in childbirth really builds character!”
“Contracting polio really put hair on my son’s chest and made him into the man he is today!”
“I’m so glad I can look forward to a life of hard physical labor and and death at 40. Not like those future weaklings who might survive into their 70s and beyond.”
“Oh, boy. Chattel slavery has been great for us. The family that picks cotton together, sticks together … until our owners decide to sell us off.”
There are people who sound just like this 😅
Back in the day the peasant knew his station in life and he would fight for his interest when the time comes.
Modern pedon is a Grade A bootlicker that thinks he is part of the club.
It is a disgusting, pathological behaviour and nothing will change until we hit a critical mass of freedom enjoyers willing to do proper opposition to the regime oppression of the workers.
Modern pedon is a Grade A bootlicker that thinks he is part of the club.
/thread
edit: /world
Maybe not… nutrition and general health care are a lot better these days, as is education and general access to information so if you took say, a 40-year old from 1875 and introduced them to a 40-year old from 2025, they might see someone who’s bigger than them, has perfect teeth, looks half their age, and has a pretty broad general knowledge about all sorts of things they’d know nothing about.
A bit like if a 40-year old from today met someone from the year 2175 who looked about 20, was insanely fit and a foot taller than them and could casually describe how the cure for cancer, AGI, quantum computers and fusion power worked. Could be pretty intimidating!
There are a lot of places in the world that aren’t any better than what you’re talking about, and it’s a testament to how resilient the people who live there are.
There are also people fighting wars with astoundingly more gruesome weapons than we used to have. At least when someone killed you with a sword, they’d have to be there, watching you die. Now people kill like a video game, with a controller and a screen.
All animals have an amazing ability to just keep pushing through, even when the situation is dire. Some do it better than others, but humans have got to be near the top.
What? Soft? Do you think they would mock us for having industrialised society with food and medicines and public schools and well educated people and jobs that don’t break your body at the age of 35? Why would they do that? Would you look into the future and mock them for having a cure for cancer and HIV and Alzheimer’s and better health and foods and even more comfortable living and transport and jobs and entertainment?
In a lot of ways, our current way of living has made us more resilient. Malnoutrition, frequent serious diseases and a high amount of environmental and food-borne poisons (soot, heavy metals, the snake oil that often passed as “medicine” back then) don’t make people stronger, they make them weaker. Our civilization diseases like obesity and allergies are their own issue, but they still beat dying from syphilis or influenza at age 30.
As far as propaganda goes, they had plenty of propaganda as well - it might have been cruder than today, but they also had less access to dissenting voices.
The health trend is definitely pointing downward in places like the USA, though. Let’s hope most of Europe can avoid the worst of that …
Not really, because what they did in hard physical labour we do in hard mental labour. And both types of hard labour exist at the same time nowadays anyway.
Your question made me think about comedian Ryan Hamilton’s bit about the New Yorker visiting rural Idaho and wandering off to get gluten free cupcakes never to be seen again.
We for sure have it easier today.
Strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create bad times, bad times create strong men.
Literal fascist rhetoric
I’m afraid we’re accumulating genetic defects and weaknesses because we’re not allowing them to be weeded out anymore.
