Are we modern humans, across the board, enormous wussies compared to people, say, 150+ years ago?
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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.
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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.
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In a lot of ways, our current way of living has made us more resilient. Malnoutrition and frequent serious diseases 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 ...
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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."
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There are people who sound just like this
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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.
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I'm afraid we're accumulating genetic defects and weaknesses because we're not allowing them to be weeded out anymore.
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Iām not sure I have seen any evidence to suggest that US life expectancy is decreasing. Mind sharing any sources on that? As far as I can see it has been growing since 2021 annually, obviously having been lowered because of COVID-19.
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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!
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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?
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Strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create bad times, bad times create strong men.
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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.
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Literal fascist rhetoric
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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.
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We'd have less tolerance to suffering. But we're also way healthier so our bodies would be stronger and faster.
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Modern pedon is a Grade A bootlicker that thinks he is part of the club.
/thread
edit: /world
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That's an interesting question. Many people are answering the question "Would people from 150 years ago think the quality of life is better" instead of "Would they think modern people are weaker."
I think that depends on how you define "weak" or "strong." Physically, I think there is less manual labor needed, so in general people from the past may look at us as weaker. The understanding of mental health and resilience is lesser in the past, but if conveyed in relative terms, I do think they would see how more resilient we need to generally be to things now like doom scrolling and algorithms that we are exposed to in the present.
Humans are pretty adaptable. Since we generally have more access to resources now, I would argue modernity has the side effect of hindering our sense of agency. Likewise, we are adapting different "strengths" based on the challenges we get in the present.
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Thanks for your answer! I was afraid I had posed the question wrong somehow but this is exactly what I was getting at.
