As generations pass by, we look back and find ourselves in awe of the way previous generations lived. We find it hard to imagine how they lived.

Most of us have grown up with bathrooms in our homes equipped with water running from the tap, with electricity allowing us to cook, wash, and have light during the night. Romans may have known central heating, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that it became an expectation in many parts of the world. We can’t imagine what it feels like to live in a place that doesn’t have all of this.

The younger ones grow up with the internet, smartphones, and social media. They can’t imagine what it would be like to need to agree to an appointment beforehand, arrive there, and be on time, as it isn’t possible to signal being late.

These innovations transform our lives for the better. Today, we can do things we couldn’t imagine years ago. But life also provides us with less discomfort as a result of all the innovations we’ve created.

The challenges we’ve been made for as humans are disappearing.

We are left with the challenges we create for ourselves. Many of them are based on the expectation that comfort should be available.