I spent the weekend at a friend’s house. My wife and I decided to spend some time with her and her fiancé in her hometown not too far from Dallas. We had some good, old fashioned Vietnamese pho (rice noodles) and throughout the weekend talked with her mom about what life was like growing up in Vietnam. Our friend’s mom recounted stories of her childhood which included waking up at 4am, preparing breakfast, cleaning, and helping her siblings get ready for school. Then after school she would come home, prepare dinner, do chores, and help bathe her siblings.
As I listened to the stories about her childhood in Vietnam, I pictured that life (on the other side of the world) on the U.S. midwestern plains and farms must have been very similar. It doesn’t seem to matter whether a person grew up in the countryside of Vietnam, the plains of the United States, or the villages of Nepal, life was different back then. So I pose these questions to our readers today:
Do you think we have it easier today than our parents or grandparents did 40, 60, 80 years ago?
What are some things that we experience today that they didn’t 40, 60, 80 years ago? What were some things that they experienced back then that, through inventions and innovations, we don’t have to endure today?
Do you think that they were happier (50-75 years ago) than we are today? If so why or why not?
January 21st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I indeed think we have it easier. With new technology and medical advancements our lives are more comfortable. Certain kinds of suffering that was normal back then isn’t today. We have new challenges, yes. But, by and large, it is easier today than yesterday, this I am convinced of.
In regards to the second question, I’d have to think about that.
Happier back then? I really don’t think so. Of course, I wasn’t around back then and can’t make out a perfect contrast. Our generation certainly has unique and intensified challenges. But I lean towards the feeling that at the end of the day, people are happier now. There will be pros and cons to both time periods, but in the realm of percentages, people are happier now in my opinion. Of course, with more reading and contemplation my assessment could change.
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 am
These are way too broad. With technology the way it is, we can do so much more than people 40 to 80 years can ever imagine doing. Now we can talk to someone face to face over the computer while back then, the only way of communication was a letter that could take months getting to loved ones. This is just one example. There are so many other technological advancements in ways of accomplishing things now than ways of the past.
As for who is happier now or then, it is about even because ignorance is bliss. People are usually happy with what is available. If I had TV and it was taken away from me, I would feel like dying. If I never knew about TV, books would be the best invention in the world.
P.S. How was the pho you had?
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:25 am
Considering what has happened in the past ~80 years, we do “have it easier”.
But one should not forget that modern day life has its new set of problems (e.g. the frantic pace), so in a way we have it harder.
As for happiness, i couldn’t really say.
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Thank you for your responses guys.
Bamboo: Absolutely, advancements in medicine and technology have greatly improved as well as prolonged the life and welfare of human beings.
Kung Fu: Yes, the ability to communicate and shorten the amount of time it takes to convey messages and correspondence to one another is now a mere mouse click away. Today, we’re able to do things that our parents and grandparents never even dreamt possible. By the way, pho was delicious!
James: You hit the nail right on the head, i.e., that though technology has made life much more convenient, it comes at a price (the frantic pace). Because we’re able to do more things in a much shorter period of time, we’re expected to continue to keep up this “frantic pace”…this to-do list lifestyle.
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I caught the end of Boston Legal (a TV show) where a lawyer said that we “live in an increasingly isolated world.” Today, we IM, email, and text message each other. There’s less and less human contact now than ever before.
From my point of view, our world today (especially here in the U.S.) encourages and promotes efficiency, convenience, and individual accomplishments.
And while those things are fine, we seem to be missing out on spending quality time enjoying each other’s company or learning how to churn butter or how to make grandma’s favorite recipes from scratch. Life was indeed simpler back then and that’s not always a bad thing.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I wonder how much truth there is to the idea of “life was simpler” in the past. I’d contend that the amount of things people had to deal with in the past made their lives that much more complicated. Consider a mother’s role. Previously, she had to cook. That meant growing and pulling plants from the ground, knowing how to butcher and prepare raw animal products, including avoiding the ones that are harmful to humans, cook with imprecise temperatures or timers. A meal that takes someone in our society fifteen minutes in a microwave could take an entire day of preparation with a hundred little steps 100 years ago. That hardly sounds simpler to me.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Steve, in regards to our society becoming a more isolated place with im, emails and texting…I have all three and still prefer to talk to an individual in person or at least by phone. The previous three methods are just too impersonal a means for me. Another great post! I hope you are doing well.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Adam: I can certainly understand your point. I think what I meant by “Life Was Simpler” was that while it took people longer to do things (like grow their own vegetables and prepare food from scratch) there seems to be more time spent together to help with these tasks. Their lives were tougher back then, no doubt, but I contend that it was simpler because there wasn’t the multi-tasking and “frantic pace” that we go through today.
In fact, the growth and popularity of personal development, simplicity, and de-cluttering blogs (Zen Habits for example) is testimony that the pendulum is swinging back the other way, to a simpler time.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Laura: I think it’s great that you continue to make that human contact with others even with all of the modern technological conveniences like emails and texting. Thanks for visiting again and for the encouragement. I am doing well and back to 100% after recovering from my fever and sickness almost two weeks ago. That was not fun.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
If you look at all of the drug abuse that goes on today, are people any happier than 40-80 years ago. It really is a hard thing to make a judgment about. For myself, I am 56 years old. Each decade that I have lived has been better and happier than the decade before it. For me, life keeps getting better and better as I gain more experience and hopefully more wisdom. I would not go back to being 20 years old for anything. I like who I am today. When I was 20 years old, I had no idea who I was.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Patricia: Wow, thanks for sharing. There are some people who embrace life, its ups and downs, and let it mold and shape them, and in the end…shines them from the inside out - you are one such person. That’s fantastic!
April 17th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
This is such crap we need to thank the Lord that we are actually still alive and stop thinking about the past. Not try to be rude but we do I have already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 17th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Arielle: Thanks for your comment. No worries, I’m not offended. This post was meant to be a reminder to be thankful. I think we are arguing about the same thing. Again there’s a difference between learning and appreciating our past and dwelling on it.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:32 am
Hi all, I am not english speaking.
Can someone tell me what dos “back then” term mean?
Probably iy means something like ‘at that time/era’?
Is this OK?
April 21st, 2008 at 4:26 pm
You are correct. “Back then” refers to at that period of time. It’s an easier way to say the same thing.