"Everything was shitty in the past"
For years, my general understanding of history was basically summarized by "Everything was shitty in the past. Women died young in childbirth. Children died young. Workers were exploited. Industrialists treated their workers like slaves. Everyone was unhappy, unhealthy, stupid because they didn't know how to read, and you could also accidentally end up as one of the wives of Henry VIII and be beheaded."
There's no question that there were periods in history that were hard. Famines, natural disasters, wars, and the general labor around survival would have been intense. But there were also periods of impressive technological advancement, prosperity, and artistic output.
The Industrial Revolution stands out to me as an insane time period to be alive. I imagine it was similar to today with our Technology Revolution. There is a lot of uncertainty about what technologies like AI mean for everyone. Likewise, the Industrial Revolution wiped out entire cottage industries. Spinners, weavers, blacksmiths were made obsolete practically overnight. And yet, it ushered in an era of stability and abundance. Is this what the Tech Revolution is doing today?