Historical Progress
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Skeratch
Members Posts: 1,395 ✭✭
How do you view human progress through history?
Are we gradually improving, staying the same, or declining?
Are we gradually improving, staying the same, or declining?
Comments
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Some aspects improve while others decline. And in the short term, most leaps of progress are followed by a backlash and some reverse movement. In the end, I guess it matters how you measure progress, but I think that looking at all of human history, we see a net improvement over time.
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shootemwon wrote: »Some aspects improve while others decline. And in the short term, most leaps of progress are followed by a backlash and some reverse movement. In the end, I guess it matters how you measure progress, but I think that looking at all of human history, we see a net improvement over time.
This right here... -
All progress comes with a cost, with every positive effect comes a negative one.
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shootemwon wrote: »Some aspects improve while others decline. And in the short term, most leaps of progress are followed by a backlash and some reverse movement. In the end, I guess it matters how you measure progress, but I think that looking at all of human history, we see a net improvement over time.
We've definitely improved the length and quality of human life - but we've also improved our efficiency at killing on another. The twentieth century was an orgy of violence and genocide and I remember reading somewhere that humans have been consistently killing the same percentage of the overall population throughout history. So I'd definitely agree with what you're saying - we've improved in a lot of areas but we've also stayed the same. -
We've definitely improved the length and quality of human life - but we've also improved our efficiency at killing on another. The twentieth century was an orgy of violence and genocide and I remember reading somewhere that humans have been consistently killing the same percentage of the overall population throughout history. So I'd definitely agree with what you're saying - we've improved in a lot of areas but we've also stayed the same.
As long as we're going to keep killing, I'd consider more efficient killing an improvement. I mean, I'd rather get shot in the head than crucified. -
shootemwon wrote: »As long as we're going to keep killing, I'd consider more efficient killing an improvement. I mean, I'd rather get shot in the head than crucified.
True, but we've also improved in our torture - despite what international laws might say. Of course, some areas of the world are worse than others.
And we're still killing one another in painful ways - machetes, fire, landmines, gas, and so on. -
True, but we've also improved in our torture
Improved how? Do you mean that we've improved torture in a good way (more efficient, less messy) or a bad way (more painful, more horrifying)?
Torture is torture, and it's wrong, but with that said, waterboarding, bad as it may be, can't possibly be worse than that medieval torture ? that used to go down. -
shootemwon wrote: »Improved how? Do you mean that we've improved torture in a good way (more efficient, less messy) or a bad way (more painful, more horrifying)?
Torture is torture, and it's wrong, but with that said, waterboarding, bad as it may be, can't possibly be worse than that medieval torture ? that used to go down.
True waterboarding is nothing compared to some other forms of torture -
shootemwon wrote: »Improved how? Do you mean that we've improved torture in a good way (more efficient, less messy) or a bad way (more painful, more horrifying)?
Torture is torture, and it's wrong, but with that said, waterboarding, bad as it may be, can't possibly be worse than that medieval torture ? that used to go down.
I mean more painful and horrifying. The USA certainly doesn't perform the worst types of torture. With our advanced knowledge of anatomy and psychology and improved technology, torture methods have become even more excruciating than in medieval times. -
if you don't have anyone to go with you, try going out of the house say once an hour every day. first, take a step out of house and stand there for a few seconds and go back in. next time take a couple more steps. slowly make it so that you can make it to the street, then to the end of the block, then around the block. then, slowly make it to more social situations, such as a store. to make it a little easier you can try going to a 24 hour store (like walmart) in the middle of the night. there are a lot less people around at that time of night (as long as the darkness doesn't make your anxiety worse).
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our tanks have continually gotten cooler and cooler over timeAre we gradually improving, staying the same, or declining?
verdict: gradually improving -
if you look at a graph of the human population, you should be able to tell that some big ? is inevitable
this growth is not sustainable -
We advance technologically, but socially and spiritually we have regressed. Yeah we may live longer but usually the latter years are racked with prolonged suffering and drug use. The Family structure has taken a hit, tremendously. People are generally, very selfish, inconsiderate, and less informed.
People are stressed out because to maintain their material comfort they have to work longer hours which is creating crushing debt.
We have more "stuff", but we don't have more peace of mind. Which "stuff" was supposed to facilitate by making our lives easier.
Life was more peaceful without a cell phone.
Eff, an Iphone. -
shootemwon wrote: »As long as we're going to keep killing, I'd consider more efficient killing an improvement. I mean, I'd rather get shot in the head than crucified.
The best way to go is guillotine or beheading. The severed head can not transmit pain sensory perception once removed.
That's if the executioner is thorough and not Sam the Butcher. -
rick.flair wrote: »if you don't have anyone to go with you, try going out of the house say once an hour every day. first, take a step out of house and stand there for a few seconds and go back in. next time take a couple more steps. slowly make it so that you can make it to the street, then to the end of the block, then around the block. then, slowly make it to more social situations, such as a store. to make it a little easier you can try going to a 24 hour store (like walmart) in the middle of the night. there are a lot less people around at that time of night (as long as the darkness doesn't make your anxiety worse).
Shut yer bleeding mouf, ya barmy blighter.our tanks have continually gotten cooler and cooler over time
verdict: gradually improving
A very valid point.KTULU IS BACK wrote: »if you look at a graph of the human population, you should be able to tell that some big ? is inevitable
this growth is not sustainable
Some demographers believe that the population growth is self-correcting - that growth will slow to a basic replacement rate and stay there once humanity has reached its peak population. I'm not convinced by this, resources are finite.We advance technologically, but socially and spiritually we have regressed. Yeah we may live longer but usually the latter years are racked with prolonged suffering and drug use. The Family structure has taken a hit, tremendously. People are generally, very selfish, inconsiderate, and less informed.
People are stressed out because to maintain their material comfort they have to work longer hours which is creating crushing debt.
We have more "stuff", but we don't have more peace of mind. Which "stuff" was supposed to facilitate by making our lives easier.
Life was more peaceful without a cell phone.
Eff, an Iphone.
More stuff and less time.
