That's a really interesting idea. You could well be right. I think perhaps it also relates to expectation. We maybe won't tolerate physical suffering so much. We don't expect to starve or have our freedoms restricted. I feel like my Dad's generation is far more compliant when it comes to working hard, fulfilling obligations and, going without if you can't afford things.
Yet, we ourselves and society also places a lot of pressure on us to 'become someone'. So- we may be feeling different sorts of pressures than previous generations.
I realise this is cruel but sometimes, I envy people who say their social anxiety is why they remain NEET. In terms of- their parents presumably let them use that as an excuse. I found school and work excruciating in certain ways but, my caregivers thought it was better for me to face those fears rather than pander to them. Now I have control and have pandered to them- I managed to work from home for 7 years. So now, the thought of having to work with others is so much worse. So- perhaps their approach was the better one. We can end up crippling ourselves if we won't face the things we fear.
I don't think it's necessarily that people with hard lives are always happier. It's that they were most likely forced to build up coping mechanisms to get through. Of course- those coping mechanisms aren't always healthy and they can fail. But yeah- maybe they build up more resilience. They likely felt and complied to the pressure put on them to go through these things too. I get a great sense that a lot of us now are asking: 'Why should I?'
