The happiest time in history?

[removeduser_4536284751384]

In what period do you think people were happiest?

It may sound strange, but I think people were happiest during the Middle Ages. Sure everyone was dumb, but that's part of the reason they were so happy.

[Poach]

In which part of Earth? In the Americas, pre-European colonisation. In China (bushbush will know more about this), during one of the dynasties that were powerful enough to enforce peace. In the Western World, I'd probably argue modern day.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

we're to smart these days to be happy. always thinking about depressing stuff that can't possibly effect us in any way, like "why am I here?", "why does the universe exist?" and death

in the middle ages you lived a happy life with few worries except occasional bloody wars, you didn't ask depressing questions and you died knowing you would go to paradise.

[Poach]

in the middle ages you lived a happy life with few worries except occasional bloody wars, you didn't ask depressing questions and you died knowing you would go to paradise.

You just lived a short, hard life of bad nutrition, ignorance, brutal warfare and an oppressive church branding everything a sin and actively seeking out and killing any who challenge its dominance?

We're not too smart to be happy: I'm happy and I ponder these questions constantly (partly thanks to my daily vists to this forum ). Today we have many conveniences that older generations did not, and the Western World is largely safeguarded from any serious disaster, war or epidemic.

[Odovacar]

You just lived a short, hard life of bad nutrition, ignorance, brutal warfare and an oppressive church branding everything a sin and actively seeking out and killing any who challenge its dominance?

The church part of your description is amaturish at most, however, that is true, that medieval life wasnt happiest.

@Vicrious
Today,

capitalism means people can buy almost anything they want (dont make this an argument about whether or not money can buy true happiness, if you wanna go down that road this whole thread is null and void), we have the internet, you can get food and drink from all corners of the earth..
the modern world is pretty funderful

Well, you just left out those millions who live in Africa, or live in developing countries but in terrible poverty.
Your description may apply to Western Europe-Europe (not entirely) and North-America, Australia and the "little tiggers"

[gambit]

The church part of your description is amaturish at most, however, that is true, that medieval life wasnt happiest.

@Vicrious
Today,


Well, you just left out those millions who live in Africa, or live in developing countries but in terrible poverty.
Your description may apply to Western Europe-Europe (not entirely) and North-America, Australia and the "little tiggers"

Indeed, what else could I do? There has never and will most likely never be a time when every single human was living within similar enough conditions for us to bunch them together into a universally X mood, I figured I'd go with the people most relevant to this thread.

[Chukada1]

April 29th 2010.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

You just lived a short, hard life of bad nutrition, ignorance, brutal warfare and an oppressive church branding everything a sin and actively seeking out and killing any who challenge its dominance?

We're not too smart to be happy: I'm happy and I ponder these questions constantly (partly thanks to my daily vists to this forum ). Today we have many conveniences that older generations did not, and the Western World is largely safeguarded from any serious disaster, war or epidemic.

I think we all ponder these things constantly, and we shouldn't, I've found they negatively affect my hapiness.

[Machiavelli25]

we're to smart these days to be happy. always thinking about depressing stuff that can't possibly effect us in any way, like "why am I here?", "why does the universe exist?" and death

in the middle ages you lived a happy life with few worries except occasional bloody wars, you didn't ask depressing questions and you died knowing you would go to paradise.

What makes you think that? Were you there?

By the way, being 'smart' and being 'ignorant' are two different things.

The answer to the question is nil. IE: There is no time period humans were happiest.

[Trax]

Now.

[Lysimachus]

Now.

"The Happiest Time in History" is the thread title, Trax.

[Lysimachus]

Pax Romana?

[Babur]

Pax Romana?

Pax Mongolica

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[gambit]

It's almost impossible to know. Nowadays any random who can find a camera can make his happiness/sadness known to the whole world. Back then? thousands upon thousands could've been clinically depressed, or radically blissful, and we might not know a thing about it.

But I'd agree with Trax, now would be best. Entertainment and medical science are at it's height, civil rights are flourishing, capitalism means people can buy almost anything they want (dont make this an argument about whether or not money can buy true happiness, if you wanna go down that road this whole thread is null and void), we have the internet, you can get food and drink from all corners of the earth..
the modern world is pretty funderful

[Poach]

I was only ever arguing that the modern times were best for the Western World, not the World at large.

[Odovacar]

That is mostly seems to be right then.

[Trax]

Now.

Never before have so many lived so well.
And even those living in the least developed parts of the world
are not doing much worse than the average guy in some random point in history.

[Lysimachus]

Now.

Never before have so many lived so well.
And even those living in the least developed parts of the world
are not doing much worse than the average guy in some random point in history.

The Happiest time in History. I guess it depends on your interpretation of when "history" starts.

[René Artois]

Now in Bhutan. Happiest country in the world. http://www.realclearworld.com/articl...tan_97248.html

And Trax, we may be better off, but most people don't think so, so they aren't very happy. I would say the exact happiest point in time would be right when the Second or First World Wars ended lol.

[Trax]

The Happiest time in History. I guess it depends on your interpretation of when "history" starts.

In that case the latest point that you consider history.
Unless it happens to be in the middle of some major war of course.