If you’re reading this post, you’re wealthier than you think. The very fact that you’re reading the words on your screen means you have a computer, tablet, phone, or some other type of device to gather information. This is a luxury that very few humans have had over the course of time.
Perspective
Last night as I slept these things happened:
- My phone charged
- The dishwasher washed all the dishes from the past few days
- My car fully recharged
- The refrigerator kept the food cold
Not to mention the heater automatically went on when the temperature of the house reached 66 degrees. Then when I woke up, I had hot water for a shower, cereal ready to eat, and more than enough clean water to drink.
I, and anyone reading this–live a life of abundance. Never in human history has there been a time like this with so many resources and luxuries available.
History
For centuries, humans have lived without almost all of the amenities and luxuries we have today. Electricity, cars, access to clean water straight from a faucet, heated and cooled homes, washing machines, internet, etc. The list goes on and on.
Food used to have to be planted, gathered, or hunted. Finding clean water could be an all day excursion transporting it to and from the source. Soap, toothpaste, and other personal hygiene items were non-existent.
Gratitude and Appreciation
Day to day, we get stuck in our heads. We think about how difficult our jobs are, how rough the financial situation is, worry about something way off in the future, or a variety of other things. But when you take a step back, you realize just how good we have it.
This is one of the best times to be alive in all of human history. Appreciate the abundance and luxuries that most people take for granted.
Reach into your pocket and look at the power of your cell phone–a device that can call or text anyone in the world, find an answer to most questions, email a business contact, or even mindlessly scroll through social media for hours at a time. This is one of the most powerful devices ever created and you’ve got it in the palm of your hand.
Wealthier Than You Think: 8 Examples
As a starting point, I’m adding eight things that show just how wealthy we are today compared to any other time in history. Starting with access to food and clean drinking water.
Number 1: Access to Food and Water
Getting food and clean water used to be an all day excursion. Hunter and gatherers had to spend a good part of the day hunting or gathering food while others spent the majority of their days finding and transporting clean water.
Now we literally can turn on the faucet and get good, clean drinking water for a monthly fee to the water company. Then we can walk a couple feet to the refrigerator or pantry where there is fresh, quality food from the grocery store that gathered the food for you.
This easy access to food for a sum of money should not be ignored or taken for granted. We are some of the first generations who have these means. That leaves us time to focus on family, work, hobbies, or whatever endeavor we want to participate in.
Number 2: Comfort
Our generation is living in comfort. Heated and cooled houses, cars with AC, furniture that you can sink into, and much more. Going back into even the 1970’s and 1980’s, most cars didn’t even have air conditioning. The AC was rolling down the windows on a hot day.
This wasn’t that long ago historically speaking. Even something as simple as a remote control wasn’t in most homes until the late 1980’s or 1990’s. Again, not that long ago. Now we have multiple streaming services where you can watch pretty much anything ever created.
Number 3: Technology
The advances in technology over the last 50 years (especially the last 10) has been off the charts. We’re virtually unrecognizable to someone who was living in the mid 1900’s. Look at just some of the things that have been developed and perfected in the last half century:
- The personal computer
- Cars that have the ability to self drive
- 70 inch televisions that can stream virtually anything ever created
- Cell phones that are more powerful than the most advanced computers from the 1960’s
This list is just a tip of the iceberg, and more technology is coming. Of course, my hope is that the technology is used for good, and that we figure out a way to police the bad.
Number 4: Medical Advances
There have been major medical advances in the last few decades. Things that used to kill, or significantly harm people are now curable with a few minor treatments. An X-ray or MRI can be taken during a short visit to the hospital. Cancer treatments are improving and we’re learning new things everyday about prevention.
Athletes are able to play longer with the sophisticated training regimens developed by their personal trainers. Sports injuries are more and more treatable, allowing athletes and weekend warriors to come back from previously devastating and career ending injuries.
Body scans can detect future problems and treatments are more readily available. Not to mention the advances in prevention, and all that nutritionists and others in the medical field are developing.
Number 5: Vehicles
Pre-1900’s literally nobody had cars. Then in the early 1900’s very few people had cars. Most households were still one vehicle in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It hasn’t been until recently that the majority of people have their own vehicle.
Cars are getting faster, more fuel efficient (or electric/other forms), and more reliable. What’s the last time your car stalled or wouldn’t start? I drove a 2006 Honda Civic for close to 15 years and never once broke down or had a major mechanical issue.
If that weren’t enough, cars are climate controlled and can remember your seating settings. Once considered luxuries, things like backup cameras, navigation, and automated reminders are now standard in most new vehicles.
Number 6: Travel
Continuing with different modes of transportation, there are many ways to travel now. You can go coast to coast via car, train, and most commonly plane. Heck, you could probably take a bunch of Ubers if you really wanted to.
Seriously though, look at all the different ways to travel, not just getting there. Camping, moderately priced hotel stays, luxury Airbnbs, even glamping. The list of options goes on and on.
With a little bit of money, anyone can go to almost any spot in the world. Even Antarctica is an option during certain times of the year when weather cooperates.
Related:
Number 7: Entertainment
Look at all the entertainment options available, especially if you’re within an hour or two of a major city. Sports, theater, musicals, the arts, restaurants, bars, etc.
You could live in a big city like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco for years and literally not even scratch the surface of trying everything there is to offer. Entertainment is available any day/night of the week if you’re looking for something to do.
Number 8: Access to Information
As little as 30 to 40 years ago, if you wanted information, you went to the library and checked out a book or sifted through the encyclopedia. There was no internet or smartphones where you can get literally billions of results in less than seconds.
You can learn about almost anything in the world with a quick search. There are blogs, scholarly articles, old school news articles, as well as YouTube videos on pretty much any subject available.
Pause this post and try it now. Enter something obscure into a Google search and watch as an endless amount of sites pull up.
Conclusion
I believe that the majority of people in developed, and moderately developed countries are wealthier than they think. The amount of opportunity and comfort available is off the charts compared to even less than a century ago.
A middle class American has a roof over their head, a reliable car, access to clean water, medical care, and a place to work that pays them hourly or salary. These are all relative luxuries compared to even 100 years ago–and a lifestyle like this would be unthinkable to anyone living pre-1800’s.
Point is, we have it better than we know. Yes, there are still struggles and plenty of issues facing modern day society. But it’s still pretty good and I wouldn’t trade living in this time period for any other in the history of the world.
What do you think? Are you wealthier than you thought?
