Hundreds of years ago, people once died in their thirties or forties; now they live into their seventies. Infant mortality has declined.In the past, living to the age of 40 was considered fortunate, whereas now, the average life expectancy is closer to 60 or 70 years. This change reflects significant improvements in medical treatments and scientific advancements.
Life expectancy and scientific advancement are often used as a primary benchmark of human advancement.
We’ve been told that history is a story of advancement — from ignorance to enlightenment, disease to medicine, and the rise in technology.
Life expectancy is often used as a benchmark for measuring progress. By that standard, we have undoubtedly made great strides over the centuries, especially in the last hundred years.
If there was a yardstick to measure human progress we must ask -based on what else, before asking ourselves whether we are going up or down.
Indeed, there are other ways to measure human progress, including:
– The establishment of humane governments and enlightened societies
– Respect for human rights
– Improved living conditions for the majority of the worlds population.
True progress should mean less suffering, more justice, and meaningful improvements in the lives of most people. By that standard, we’re not advancing — we’re spinning our wheels or sliding backwards. A truly productive society empowers its people to make small but meaningful changes that ripple outward. Instead, we live in systems that concentrate power and keep most people stuck.
Technology has made life more convenient in many ways, but it hasn’t solved the human condition. We have smartphones and streaming services, but mental health is in free fall. Anxiety and depression are at all-time highs. Even in wealthy nations, people feel isolated, overstimulated, and empty. Ancient and medieval societies may have had brutal living conditions, but people still found purpose, connection, and meaning. Can we honestly say we’ve improved on that?
Even in wealthy nations, people feel isolated, overstimulated, and empty. We have smartphones and streaming services, but mental health is in free fall. Ancient and medieval societies may have had brutal living conditions, but at least people still found purpose, connection, and meaning.
If we still suffer under the same systems of domination and injustice, just with better tools like AI, that’s backsliding in disguise, not progress.
The majority of the world’s population (7 out of 8 billion) still face food insecurity and repression. For them, hunger, economic servitude, and human rights violations are not relics of the past — those are the daily reality.
A longer life under modern wage slavery, authoritarian rule, or chronic stress is not necessarily progress. It’s extended suffering.
Have We Gotten Our History All Wrong?
We are never the victims of our shared history. Humans collectively are slaves of our interpretations of our history.
Under autocracy, your ability to protest or speak freely would be sharply curtailed:
- Protest: The government would likely restrict or ban public demonstrations, require permits that are rarely granted, and use police or security forces to break up gatherings. Protesters could face arrest, intimidation, or violence, as seen in countries like Venezuela and Turkey35.
- Free Speech: Criticism of the government could become dangerous. Independent journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens might be censored, surveilled, or prosecuted for dissenting opinions. Media would be controlled or silenced, and self-censorship would become widespread256.
- Legal Barriers: New laws could criminalize certain kinds of speech or assembly, labeling protesters as threats or terrorists, and bureaucratic hurdles would make organizing nearly impossible56.
In short, under autocracy, open protest and free expression would be risky or impossible, with harsh consequences for those who resist
Why We Need to Rethink Our History: Breaking the Cycle of Repeated Darkness
Throughout history, humanity has experienced cycles of progress and regression, hope and despair, justice and oppression. Yet, despite revolutions, reforms, and moments of enlightenment, we often find ourselves returning to familiar patterns of dysfunction and darkness. The present moment—marked by rising autocracy, technological upheaval, and eroding freedoms—demands a critical retelling of our shared past if we are to break free from this seemingly endless loop.
The Pattern: Progress, Backlash, and Regression
From the fall of ancient empires to the rise and retreat of civil rights, history is filled with examples of societies that achieved moments of justice and freedom, only to see those gains reversed. The collapse of the Roman Republic, the rollback of Reconstruction in the United States, and the resurgence of authoritarianism after the Cold War all illustrate how fragile progress can be. Each time, the narrative of inevitable advancement was shattered by backlash and the return of old forms of oppression.
Why Do We Repeat Ourselves?
- Selective Memory: We often celebrate victories without fully confronting the forces that led to their undoing. This selective remembrance blinds us to the warning signs of regression.
- Myths of Progress: The belief that history naturally bends toward justice can breed complacency, making societies less vigilant in defending hard-won rights1.
- Failure to Learn: By glossing over the complexities and failures of past movements, we miss the opportunity to understand why they faltered—and how we might avoid repeating their mistakes.
A New Retelling: Learning from the Full Story
To escape the cycle, we must retell our history honestly and critically:
- Acknowledge Cycles: Recognize that progress is not linear. Every advance is vulnerable to reversal, and every dark age carries the seeds of renewal.
- Study Backlash: Examine not just the moments of triumph, but the mechanisms of backlash—how power consolidates, how dissent is suppressed, and how societies slide into autocracy.
- Center the Margins: Listen to the voices and experiences of those who have been most affected by oppression and regression. Their stories often hold the key to understanding both the failures and the possibilities of resistance2.
- Question Narratives: Challenge the comforting myths that obscure the realities of human nature, power, and morality.
Conclusion: Rethinking for Renewal
If we are to break the pattern of endless repetition, we must commit to a new, more honest retelling of our history. Only by understanding the full complexity of our past—its triumphs and its failures—can we hope to chart a different course. The stakes are high: without this reckoning, we risk repeating history not as tragedy or farce, but as an unending cycle of darkness from which we may never escape.
A critical, collective re-examination of our history is not just an academic exercise; it is a necessary act of survival and hope.
Why does our current history keep repeating itself in cycles of authoritarianism
How can retelling our history differently help break the pattern of societal stagnation
What key moments in history reveal why we are stuck in these recurring patterns
How might understanding our true past change the way we approach future challenges
In what ways does a rewritten history empower us to create lasting change