A positive take on our current world and the concept of “paradise”
Our little planet Earth is something incredibly small when compared to the vast size of the universe. There are countless galaxies in existence and in each of them there can be billions and billions of stars, and if we assume that a large part of these stars have planets, the numbers of possible worlds is undoubtedly huge.
However, since so far there is no evidence to proof otherwise, we may be the only living beings with intelligence, so in order for us to reach this specific point, thousands of millions of years had to pass, time in which the universe evolved to create galaxies, planets, and in some places, life, which after anoter millions of years, ended up developing complex forms, increasing its complexity as time pass and having us humans as the final result so far, therefore, life itself is something extremely valuable, and intelligence as well as having awareness of being alive is even more valuable.
Now, thanks to the effort of countless people across history, and thanks to the always important curiosity, and genius of several individuals, science, technology, arts and philosophy were created and improved, allowing for the intellectual enlightenment of everyone to take place.
Prior to these times that we are currently living, most of the population didn’t have access to much information, they didn’t have the freedom that today is taken for granted in a considerable part of the world, and even if they lived in cities, these were places full of diseases, health problems, terrible public services, among other issues. There is also the following chart about the reduction of poverty in the last 200 years.
Today, the majority of the people have access one way or another to knowledge about other cultures and about the world in general, mostly thanks to the internet and the proliferation of smartphones that makes it easy to be constantly connected and aware of what’s happening. But those smartphones and other similar technology wouldn’t be able to be so common if the people didn’t have an increased purchasing power compared to the past, which is possible thanks to the higher productivity coming from our modern societies. This also improves the quality and quantitative of the available food, leaving people healthier than ever before.
Regarding education, today we have tons of different options and a variety of topics that were not available in the past, increasing people’s freedom when it comes to how are they planning to add value to the society, and a similar thing can be said about entertainment, today we have many more options for our leisure time, which is always necessary to keep a proper balance in our lives.
Because of these reasons, maybe we should consider the possibility of seeing our present time as the best era humanity has ever lived. Even after taking into account all the military conflicts and crises that are happening all over the world, the truth is, these things were also happening in the past, but with general circumstances that were surely much worse.
The trend I see is clear, the better we are at technology and science, the better our lives are, so when we think about the concept of a paradise, the best way to make it true could be by increasing as much as possible our current knowledge in those fields.
Feel free to share your thoughts about this.
Images sources
Great take! I worry about big problems like climate change, etc. but we really live in a golden age in spite of all that, and it's good to have reminders of that.
Thanks to @porters, this post was resteemed and highlighted in today's edition of The Daily Sneak.
Thank you for your efforts to create quality content!
We too often take our freedoms and access for granted. You are so right in that right now we have so much information available to us that there is no reason to not know something. I remember a time, not long ago, when I'd have a question and think, "Who do I know that would be able to answer this?" Now I just google it.
It's kind of sad.
But it's also incredibly powerful. I could learn absolutely everything I want to simply by researching it on my phone. I can learn on the beach, or in a storm, or while driving or working. We have limitless information at our fingertips.
But...
Somehow, the majority of the people seem drawn to non-intellectual pursuits. We want to know what the Kardashians are wearing, or who won the ball game, or which meme is the hottest at the moment. We compete for likes and shares instead of having intense discussions about who we are and why we are.
I love this age. It has so much potential. But we also have a lot of growing up to do before we recognize just how incredible all this freedom and access really is.
Congratulations @dedicatedguy! You got an upvote coming from the @ecotrain thanks to @eco-alex! This upvote is part of the Community Support Initative to help encourage you to keep writing great posts! Thank you for being a positive part of the Steem Blockchain!
Thank you very much!
Great to have good news and to see the good around us. I like your positive spin. I believe I live in paradise but it is always good to be reminded.
Thanks @porters, sometimes I think we focus too much on the negative and ignore the positive things we have available.
Yep! We definitely need more post like this. I'm finding too that there is alot of beautiful people here on Steemit - a bright light in a sometimes dark world.
You are very kind, thank you.
Hubby & I were watching a show a few days ago that showed how people who live off the grid manage day to day life. We got to talking about how many things (like hot running water) we take for granted. I would agree, even with all the negatives, we certainly seem to be living in the best era so far. Very thought-provoking post, @dedicatedguy!
That is an excellent example to prove the point @traciyork, thanks for stopping by.
Cheers.
Thanks in return, @dedicatedguy! 😊
We have come a long way, education is most essential tool in growth @dedicatedguy
What is required is equal distribution in wealth, still too many going hungry unable to obtain employment. Sadly those who really have nothing do not have a way gain free knowledge normally either.
It is true extreme poverty still exists, but we shouldn’t forget that poverty has been declining, and that compared to 200 years ago our world is much better, even though there are still really horrible places.
If we keep on the same trajectory with economics and technology, we'll reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty even more. Smartphones and the Internet are already reducing poverty in places that, 20 years ago, no one would have imagined happening. The blockchain promises to make economic conditions in third-world countries even better. Places like Kenya and rural Thailand are seeing incredible advances. These are indeed awesome times.
I agree, the best way to reduce poverty is through constant technological innovations. I am glad you agree with these ideas.
Cheers.
It is an interesting thought, but I am not so certain about it. Definitely, I am for the development of fundamental research and technology, I also think it is something that enables and empowers people.
However, not everyone has equal access to these new and developing technology at the same time. This does lead to a bit of a divide, which shouldn't be in a 'paradise'. However, that said, access to better technology does make things better in the general sense, but I wouldn't attach a word like Paradise to it!
No, but just like computers, the internet, and literally every technology, its adoption and accessibility start to grow as time pass.
Perhaps not yet, but maybe one day.
I like the positive vibe coming from your post @dedicatedguy. Knowledge is power, we all agree with this quote. 😊
Thanks for your kindness @starjewel!