If This Is Kaliyuga, Why Are We Living Better Than Ever?
Yuvraj Nanda | Mar 14, 2025, 23:01 IST
Every generation thinks the world is getting worse, but is that really true? From better healthcare to technological breakthroughs, life today is safer, healthier, and more comfortable than ever. So why do people still call it Kaliyuga? Let’s bust the myths, compare facts, and see why this might actually be the best time to be alive.
If you’re a human you’re naturally more attracted to what does not exist. One of those non existing elements we absolutely love is the past—just like how we love our future and dream of it in the best manner possible, how we convince ourselves to believe in fairytales that are not real, all of these have one common factor and that is to not exist.
We have glorified the most controversial and darkest of human history in the name of “golden age” or the good times—based on our personal understanding of society, faith, relationships and evolution. The people today in a democratic India with all the possible facilities available to them think that they are living in Kaliyuga.
Why is this? Let’s find out.
Every generation in the past has glorified their past, just like our generation does—but history certainly tells a different story. Ancient times were nothing less than brutal—famines wiped out millions, diseases had no cure at all, and wars were endless. Even in India’s so-called golden ages, only the elite and the royals lived well, while most people struggled with poverty, lack of healthcare, and zero rights.
While metaphorically this might still feel relevant to an extent, it is a thousand times better now. Today, child mortality rates have dropped, average life expectancy has doubled, and fewer people die from hunger than ever before in human history. If this is what we call as the Kaliyuga, it is still a lot better than those ‘glorious’ times people keep romanticising till date.
Technology, science, and fundamental human rights have transformed our lives to the fullest. You can now order food in minutes, access unlimited knowledge online, and receive medical treatment—all of what was unthinkable even a century ago.
• Healthcare: Diseases like smallpox, polio, and plague killed millions of people in the past. Today? Fixed, thanks to vaccines and modern medicine.
• Safety: Crime and violence are actually much lower than in the past. Data shows that wars and genocides have massively declined in the recent centuries due to a more civilised society.
• Convenience: Imagine telling your ancestors they could travel across the world in hours or talk to anyone instantly through a phone.
If this is Kaliyuga, it’s a damn good one!
So why do people in the typical North Indian fashion still say “Aajkal zamaana kharab hai”? Simple answer—negativity bias. Humans naturally focus and put better emphasis on what is bad news. The internet and media bombard us with news of disasters, crimes, and political chaos, making it feel to us like the world is falling apart.
But let us step back, and the bigger picture tells a different story. We have more freedom, better opportunities, and longer lives than any generation before us. We open our taps and there is water, we have electricity, we have a more organised system of education with schools and colleges and our world runs on potential and skill more than the bondages of birth and caste.
The truth is: People don’t actually miss the past. They just dislike the present. They disliked the same past when it was served to them as their present. They will dislike the future they dream of once it comes to them as their present. That’s why every generation thinks things were ‘better before’—because they take their todays for granted, in seek of yesterdays and finding tomorrows that will never come.
Next time someone complains in front of you that “Kaliyuga is ruining everything,” politely ask them whether they would rather live in a world with no hospitals, no technology, and no rights, or choose the life they live today in a world with abundant resources and facilities?
The facts are pretty much clear and evident: This is the very best time to be alive, ever. And if things are still bad, it’s in our hands to make them better—just like every generation before us did.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life.
We have glorified the most controversial and darkest of human history in the name of “golden age” or the good times—based on our personal understanding of society, faith, relationships and evolution. The people today in a democratic India with all the possible facilities available to them think that they are living in Kaliyuga.
Why is this? Let’s find out.
The Past Wasn’t as ‘Golden’ as You Think
An imagination of ancient times with AI.
Every generation in the past has glorified their past, just like our generation does—but history certainly tells a different story. Ancient times were nothing less than brutal—famines wiped out millions, diseases had no cure at all, and wars were endless. Even in India’s so-called golden ages, only the elite and the royals lived well, while most people struggled with poverty, lack of healthcare, and zero rights.
While metaphorically this might still feel relevant to an extent, it is a thousand times better now. Today, child mortality rates have dropped, average life expectancy has doubled, and fewer people die from hunger than ever before in human history. If this is what we call as the Kaliyuga, it is still a lot better than those ‘glorious’ times people keep romanticising till date.
Life Today Is Easier, Healthier, and Safer
Metropolitan city depiction, imagined in AI.
Technology, science, and fundamental human rights have transformed our lives to the fullest. You can now order food in minutes, access unlimited knowledge online, and receive medical treatment—all of what was unthinkable even a century ago.
• Healthcare: Diseases like smallpox, polio, and plague killed millions of people in the past. Today? Fixed, thanks to vaccines and modern medicine.
• Safety: Crime and violence are actually much lower than in the past. Data shows that wars and genocides have massively declined in the recent centuries due to a more civilised society.
• Convenience: Imagine telling your ancestors they could travel across the world in hours or talk to anyone instantly through a phone.
If this is Kaliyuga, it’s a damn good one!
The Reason People Call It Kaliyuga
A lady sitting alone in grief.
So why do people in the typical North Indian fashion still say “Aajkal zamaana kharab hai”? Simple answer—negativity bias. Humans naturally focus and put better emphasis on what is bad news. The internet and media bombard us with news of disasters, crimes, and political chaos, making it feel to us like the world is falling apart.
But let us step back, and the bigger picture tells a different story. We have more freedom, better opportunities, and longer lives than any generation before us. We open our taps and there is water, we have electricity, we have a more organised system of education with schools and colleges and our world runs on potential and skill more than the bondages of birth and caste.
The truth is: People don’t actually miss the past. They just dislike the present. They disliked the same past when it was served to them as their present. They will dislike the future they dream of once it comes to them as their present. That’s why every generation thinks things were ‘better before’—because they take their todays for granted, in seek of yesterdays and finding tomorrows that will never come.
Final Thoughts
A depiction of Yuga cycle.
Next time someone complains in front of you that “Kaliyuga is ruining everything,” politely ask them whether they would rather live in a world with no hospitals, no technology, and no rights, or choose the life they live today in a world with abundant resources and facilities?
The facts are pretty much clear and evident: This is the very best time to be alive, ever. And if things are still bad, it’s in our hands to make them better—just like every generation before us did.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life.