Member-only story
Evolution Is Working Against Us
The battle with our instincts.
The best possible time
No matter what anyone says, you are living in the best possible time. Statistically, you can expect to live longer than ever, with less chance of dying from many causes that once took high percentages of the population’s lives every year. When compared to 1970, your chances of dying in a car accident have more than halved, and the chances of you having a heart attack before the age of 65 have fallen by 51%.
The life expectancy back in 1950 was 68 for a child born in the UK, and now you can expect to see the age of 81. Finally, the average American family income back in 1985 was around $53,000 in today’s money, whereas now it is closer to $63,000.
I don’t think I need to go any further back than the 1950s to make this point clear, as everyone knows that the quality of life is exponentially better than it was before the two World Wars.
This is no accident. Life has gotten steadily better since the beginning of civilisation, as technology and cultures have advanced and people have generally led better lives. Before I go any further, I should state that I am not saying we are or should be any happier than those that came before us, as that is a completely different argument.
