To say the world has come a long way in the last 100 years is not only an understatement, it’s so obvious its almost offensive. But stick with me, writes Dave Mooney, BCM’s head of planning in this latest edition of B&T’s Culture Bites.
So much of what we’ve become accustomed to, the creature comforts in life; didn’t exist for our grandparents or great grandparents. The feeling of getting into a freshly made bed with machine washed sheets, standing in a hot shower while the water runs over you, even the simplicity of taking a cold drink out of the fridge on a hot day. None of our ancestors and none of the people we admire from 100 years ago knew these simple pleasures. In the history of the world there’s been roughly 100 billion people, ever. Right here, right now we are living in the top percentile of comfort and luck that the world has ever known. Compared to people in previous eras, we live like kings and queens. Life has never been objectively better; yet subjectively worse.
This is a topic that came to me scrolling through TikTok one day when comedian Jimmy Carr presented this exact point in a clip that came from some random podcast he was on. The point struck me and has stayed with me since. It has become my Roman empire and is something that has recently taken me down a number of rabbit holes of curiosity.
The observation Carr makes is that by most objective measures such as wealth, health, technology, social freedoms – people in Western culture are experiencing a dramatically improved standard of living when compared to any other time in human history. However, at the same time many people feel more stressed, anxious or dissatisfied, pointing to a decline in subjective wellbeing. This both fascinating and complex.
So, what does this stem from? The truth is the advancements we’ve made as a society have not necessarily translated into greater happiness or contentment due to many factors. Things such as unrealistic expectations fuelled by social media and constant comparisons, or the continual pursuit of future goals at the expense of feeling satisfaction in the moment have led to a heightening of this psychological dysmorphia known as the “paradox of progress”. It exists because we tend to adapt very quickly to improved circumstances and don’t easily reset our expectations when good things come our way.
Why might we be experiencing this now? The speed and scope of change have created an environment where satisfaction is fleeting. Social connectedness, instant gratification, competitive achievement and the constant peacocking of achievements through the likes of LinkedIn and Instagram overshadows wellbeing factors like meaning, relationships and balance.
What is most interesting is that this isn’t a new phenomenon, this paradox has historical precedents. During the 19th century, thinkers like Thomas Malthus and Friedrich Nietzsche doubted that progress inevitably brought happiness. Malthus stated that material improvement could foster new forms of stress and inequality, while Nietzsche called progress a “weakling’s doctrine of optimism,” warning that it did not deliver true wellbeing or satisfaction.
In the wake of the industrial revolution, as standards of living rose, many people felt increased social anxiety, competition and alienation rather than contentment with their new way of life. Even ancient civilisations pondered the paradox of progress. Greek philosopher Thucydides warned against direct pursuit of happiness and observed that progress alone never guaranteed contentment.
What is clear is that objective societal progress without feelings of advancements in happiness are not unique to our experience right now. This is a recurring theme throughout history. It’s something that pops up whenever rapid advancements or rising expectations outpace the satisfaction we believe the progress should bring.
Historical examples of progress without happiness can offer a valuable perspective on any current feelings of dissatisfaction. It’s not unique and it’s not solely caused the trimmings of modern life. This is a reoccurring human response whenever rapid change stretches our expectation and values.
The thing is that these feelings seem to be sharper in the age of social media. We’re connected into platforms that amplify social comparison through constant exposure to curated images of success. This upwards comparison adds fuel to the fire of envy and inadequacy which in turn works to pile on stress, anxiety and diminish subjective wellbeing.
Across all eras of societal advancement, social critics have turned to meaning, relationships and personal fulfillment to balance out progress. These things are key to genuine wellbeing. These priorities retain relevance above all else. Investing in community, building relationships, practicing gratitude and a focus on purposeful activity become the antidote to the psychological effects of the progress paradox.
Knowing that each age of advancement has wrestled with the gap between progress and happiness can inspire us to look beyond the cynicism towards compassion and self-reflection. And understanding this validates that unease amid abundance is not a personal failure, or a fault of a digital life but instead it’s a shared and persistent human struggle.
By understanding how past societies adapted or faltered through this, it’s possible to appreciate the value of ‘enough’. It enables us to focus on sufficiency not deficiency. It allows us to be conscious of the traps of comparison knowing that previous generations faced similar discontent albeit with a slower pace of change. History teaches that the progress paradox is perennial. But it also teaches that wisdom, perspective, and conscious shifts in focus can help overcome its most corrosive effects.
As computers get better at being computers, humans need to become better at being human. I believe that this is a cultural undercurrent that points to a balancing of priorities as we begin to see a return to more IRL experiences. This shift in focus ultimately allows us to focus again on the things that actually matter.
So, what can marketers take from this? I don’t think we can underestimate the value of celebrating human connectedness. You only have to look to the sudden surge in run clubs, community gardens, upcycle markets, book clubs or the meteoric rise of pickleball. People are looking for ways to connect and finding their people along the way.
Ask yourself, Is there a way my brand could naturally facilitate connection to enhance the experience; not hijack it?’ The sweet spot will be in observing how your customers instinctively connect with each other and build out from that point. The trick is not doing it for the likes, or the reach; but doing it because it means something to the culture surrounding your brand. It means taking a leap to trust in human behaviour and doing something because it’s a good thing to do.
