We all know that as teenagers, we often discredited our parents' advice, dismissing it as unfounded or outdated information. Our parents discovered truths a long time ago, and refusing to utilize their wisdom is a foolish waste of time and energy. The same is true on a societal level. The most fundamental truths regarding humanity and social/societal interaction were discovered thousands of years ago. Human nature has not changed, and therefore neither have the truths regarding human interaction. (Not only were our ancestors fully capable of understanding these truths, perhaps they were even more capable of doing so without the antisocial distractions of the modern world.) Our modern arrogance, alongside the nature of modern society, has produced unprecedented mental health issues alongside a widespread sense of unfulfillment.
The modern carefree attitude.
Modernism; ignoring the advice of older generations, is the expression of carelessly submitting to your vices; alcoholism, drugs, excessive polygamy, laziness, avoiding physical exertion (be it good old fashioned manual labor or going to the gym), etc. Giving into these vices may seem freeing in the short term, but in the long term produce your greatest mental, physical, and emotional chains.
Relationships between married couples have become devalued because of excessive sexual encounters. Alcohol and drugs are producing or enhancing chemical imbalances. Laziness is leaving humans without their natural sense of fulfillment.
The option to give in to your vices has existed since history began. Across time and cultures, conservative behavior has been regarded as the truth. Our modern society sees itself as having transcended the understandings of the past, but is, in reality, more depraved, depressed, and meaningless than any other in history.
Modernism has stolen our natural sense of purpose.
Modern society has provided us with information that can be extremely conducive to happiness; fundamental understandings about human psychology through the prism of human evolution. Understanding the evolutionary, fundamental aspects of our nature are critical, however, this modern society has simultaneously pulled us further from nature than ever before. We no longer see ourselves as an aspect of our environment, existing within it and cooperating with nature. We see ourselves as the animals we are less than ever; viewing ourselves as something distinctly separate from nature. Children are spending their entire childhoods without visiting forests or playing in streams. This disconnect from what we have evolved to develop within is proving to produce psychological consequences. A recent Dutch study has suggested that "children who grow up surrounded by green space have a 55% reduced risk of developing a mental health disorder."
Our species has evolved to live in conditions of hard work in order to survive. More than many species, we have evolved to value monogamy, and like all species, have evolved to procreate. Our sense of purpose is derived from what we have evolved to live for. We are monkeys (which simply have the extra adaptations of speech and cooperation) which are intended to work; naturally through hunting, gathering, and farming, in order to survive. We are sticking ourselves, strangely evolved monkeys, in a concrete jungle. We are forced to live in a society which devalues raising children, monogamy, abstinence from substance abuse, and hard work. We are not striving for our natural sense of fulfillment, and the results are observably detrimental.
