Of war, happiness, and decline

Did you know that according to research, we are living the most peaceful time in the modern history? Despite the continuous turmoil some might even refer to as the new cold war, these are actually relatively easy times when it comes to the concepts of war and peace, at least. The war in Ukraine and other tensions related to superpowers of the world will simply make us forego that fact, especially as westerners. People in the third world countries are usually more acclimated to having constant conflict around them, after all.

This obviously does not mean that people are living as happy lives as they used to, however. Prior to writing this blog post, I did not bother to go looking for exact data or current research about the feelings of happiness or unhappiness some may have. All I know is that the experiences people have in that field can vary greatly, especially from country to country. Some people may very well live overall happier lives despite war and conflict around them, whereas others will still be miserable despite continuous peace and harmony.

This also begs the question of why am I writing about potentially depressing events such as the decline of western society? Even with all the peace around me, why would I focus on things which – once put to contrast – may not be such huge problems after all?

The first reason is described in the earlier paragraph. Even though we are living in an era of great peace, people are still feeling miserable. 'Why?' is one of the questions I am attempting to answer when posed with the problem. Could there be actual reasons behind those feelings, or is it all just an illusion created by all kinds of media and other popular influencers?

The second reason is that being someone who continuously lives in the future, I am attempting to imagine life as it could soon be. Tomorrow, one week from now, one year from now, or ten years from now, it does not matter. I am all about making different kinds of forecasts – some of them more correct than the other ones. However I try to imagine the world one year from now, or even five years from now, it is very hard to see many positive changes coming our way. The western world right now is full of negative potential waiting to be unleashed. I am wholeheartedly expecting things to take a turn for the worse in the coming years. The trick for the individual is surviving and even flourishing through these hard times.

Alas, hard times always come to an end – one way or another. After that, it is time for us to prosper once more. Those who have been able to struggle and survive through these times filled with all kinds of challenges can also expect to see a reward at the end of that road. This much I can promise you.