Quote Originally Posted by CFTraveler View Post
I think that is one perception- society is a mix of people, but I do believe, as a whole, there is progress. Every time we backslide it seems as it's the worse it has ever been, but when we look at history we see that what we consider 'the worst', was seen as commonplace not that long ago. So I do think as a whole we're improving, it just doesn't seem like it from an individual perspective.
Depends on the time span but also regional factors if you look at it. If we consider our 'modern/new' times to span a few centuries (maybe since industrial revolution) then we still have e.g. the devastating World Wars, the Atomic Bombs on Japan and many calamaties more 'in the now' including all today's war zones however they come/came to be.

So I think not a lot has become better since the days of Cesar or Dzingis Khan or whatever conquerers causing mass slaughter, war, plight, famine disaster you want to take as reference.

I believe in the Indian Yugas though and that there was a Golden Age once but it is lost in history (erroneously seen as 'pre-'history), being many millenia ago. Has to do with the (astrological/sun/astronomical) cycles I suppose.