Do you think the era we live in determines how happy we are?
Do you think the era we live in determines how happy we are? A recent email made me think, does it make a difference what year we were brought up in? Does the ever increasing violence, terrorism and strict rules result in there being truth to the claim that our grandparents were happier than us? Playing ball on the street has been replaced with violent, competitive video games. Walking and riding to school has been substituted with school buses and car pooling- but I don't believe that has made anyone sadder than those before them.
The rules and morals we abide by govern the way we think and act; Australia regularly develops and implements stricter rules and guidelines throughout the whole of the country. In 1890 and 1910 Cocaine and Heroin were used as medical treatments, now both drugs are highly addictive and illegal. Was that really the good old days? I doubt it...
Would having access to heroin in 1890 and 1910 as a substitute for morphine have made you happier? I think not... Would Coca Wine, said to contain cocaine, have made your nights better, I wouldn't think so.
Would being able to take cocaine tablets, as a stage actors or singers to provide you with the ability to maximise their performance, made you any happier? No and it wouldn't have increased your performance either.
Addictive drugs have been made illegal as new, medication is implemented into the medical scheme.
Overall, I don't believe that living in a certain year means people are happier. I'm happy now, I don't often feel pain and I definitely don't need drugs to get me through a stage performance. Yes, I don't enjoy how unsafe many of our city streets are, especially at night and the ever increasing fear of terrorism is frightening.
However most of the fears are media influenced- but violence and similar fears have been around for centuries, just in a different, less-established form.
Do you think the era we live in determines how happy we are?
