Are we really living in a Golden Age?

The current generation of living humans are enjoying the most peaceful and privileged period of humanity known on earth. We have never been safer, never lived longer and have never enjoyed such economic success. In comparison to any other period in human history, we have literally been blessed. And this is generally the case across the world, whatever nation, race, sex or age. Regardless of the worst economic crisis in history and the negativity that greets us in the media each day, humanity has honestly never had it so good. But it’s easy to loose sight of this.

Nevertheless, despite this advanced state of global prosperity, mankind is struggling to translate it into happiness. Instead, through fear for survival and the recent urgency to industrialise we have lost sight of our human objective. We are failing to enjoy life as effectively as we could. Furthermore, the skill with which we have recently achieved such prowess has itself created a series of issues that threaten our ability to enjoy the benefits. These risks are not merely in a distant future, but directly in the present.

The argument is that if we don’t acknowledge and address such challenges we might not be in a position to pass similar good fortune on to our children or grandchildren. Unless we overcome some of our basic human instincts we will irreparably damage our livelihoods and safety. What we risk is a return to the human insecurity of the past two hundred millennia. The eternal struggle over our basic survival requirements: food, water, shelter, health and so on, most things we take for granted in the western world.