Are we happier than our forefathers?

The modern world is wonderful, it is full of comforts and luxuries which were unknown to our forefather? They used to travel in bullocks carts and reached their destination in days.

Now it is a matter of few minutes or hours. There were no rails, no taxis, no airplanes then. Now the world is changed. Are we not happier than our forefather who had not known any of these? Yes it is a happier and lovelier world than that of Adam and Eve.

Not many people believe that our forefathers lived in perfect bliss. Their wants were few and were easily satisfied. They were very religious and worshipped God and were God fearing. There was a close relationship between man and man.

Man has now conquered the forces of nature. He can race with the clouds and in the air. With twinkling of an eye he can reach any part of the world. He has made many weapons to defend himself. He has fought diseases and increased life span. Yet, he does not feel safe and happy. He is under constant fear of being attacked and killed. There was no fear of nuclear war in the past. After effects of war are terrible to imagine. Are we happier than our forefathers? Certainly, not.

Our forefathers did not have comfort and luxuries of life. However they toiled and struggled for a living had a good and cherishing social life. They lived a simple life, they lived a contented and were happy. We on the other hand are afraid of our own creations, hacking of the net by unscrupulous persons, our money to be stolen from persons hacking our account online. Nuclear war, fear of terrorists, kidnappings, drugs, hijacking of air planes, murders have increased in recent years this can be attached to the advancement in technology. Material developments and medical science has taken a stride forward, however these have been misused by unscrupulous persons and have robbed us of our spiritual and moral progress. 

To reach a conclusion we must define happiness. If happiness means better comforts and luxuries and easy going life without struggle, then we are the happier lot. But if I define happiness as inner peace, relaxed life, joy, life without stress, then our forefathers were lucky. 

What is happiness. Is possessing unlimited wealth happiness? Is eating the most delicious food every day happiness? It is not so. Had it been so. Ford and Nizam of Hyderabad might have been the happiest men of their times. But they were not.

In the modern age man is surrounded by unrest, fear, hatred and jealousy. Man does not trust man. Can we than say that we are happier than our forefathers? The answer is no; We can't say with certainly whether our world is happier than that of our forefathers.