If anyone thinks they'd rather be in a different part of history

In the depths of human history, there is a tendency, one both ancient and modern, to romanticize the past. We look upon the old days, the days of empires long gone, of great warriors and philosophers, and we imagine a world of glory and nobility. Yet, the truth of those times—hidden beneath the layers of myth and legend—is far more brutal and unforgiving. As Elon Musk so sharply points out: “If anyone thinks they'd rather be in a different part of history, they're probably not a very good student of history. Life sucked in the old days. People knew very little, and you were likely to die at a young age of some horrible disease. You'd probably have no teeth by now. It would be particularly awful if you were a woman.” These words, though blunt, are grounded in a deep understanding of the past and its hardships. For those who romanticize the past, we must remember: the truth of history is often a tale of struggle, of suffering, and of survival.

In the days of ancient Greece and Rome, while great minds like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle roamed the earth, the common man knew little of the grand philosophies that would later shape the world. Disease ran rampant through the streets, unseen and uncured, a constant reminder of life's fragility. A simple wound could lead to an agonizing death, and life expectancy was short. It was a time when men and women lived with the ever-present shadow of mortality, a time when survival itself was a daily challenge. Few could escape the harshness of these realities, and even fewer could dream of the comforts and knowledge we take for granted today.

Consider the life of a woman in these ancient times—an existence defined by oppression, suffering, and the ever-looming threat of death in childbirth. Ancient women had few rights, their bodies often treated as vessels for the continuation of family lines. They lived in a world where their roles were prescribed by the constraints of their society, and their lives often ended in the agony of labor, a pain that could claim both mother and child. Even in the Victorian era, where great strides were made in science and culture, a woman’s life was still fraught with peril. To bear children could mean certain death, and medical knowledge was so limited that childbirth was often a gamble between life and the grave.

As Musk reminds us, it was not only disease and death that plagued the past, but also the absence of knowledge. The people of old knew little about the world around them. The stars above them were just distant points of light, their movements a mystery. Disease spread unchecked, untraceable, and unexplained. There were no antibiotics, no modern surgery, no understanding of the body’s inner workings. Theories ruled in place of facts, and superstition held sway over reason. Ignorance was the cruelest enemy, one that crippled the minds and bodies of those who lived before us.

It is in this context that Musk’s words take on their full meaning. He does not seek to belittle the past or the struggles of those who lived in it, but rather to awaken us to the reality that we are living in an era of unparalleled progress. We live in a world where knowledge is expanding at an exponential rate, where diseases that once ravaged entire populations can now be cured or prevented. We stand at the threshold of space exploration, where once only gods and kings dared to dream of the stars. And, crucially, we live in a time when women, once bound by chains of oppression and suffering, can now rise to the highest heights of achievement and freedom.

We need not look far for examples of how far we have come. The story of Marie Curie, the brilliant scientist who uncovered the mysteries of radioactivity, is a testament to the tremendous progress we have made. Born in a time when women were not expected to engage in intellectual pursuits, she not only defied those expectations, but she also made discoveries that would change the course of medicine and physics forever. She, like many others, stands as a beacon of the progress we have achieved. Her life, and the lives of countless others who have broken barriers and expanded the boundaries of human potential, reflect the power of our age—a power born of science, technology, and the unwavering pursuit of knowledge.

And so, we must heed the lesson of Elon Musk’s words: to romanticize the past is to forget the suffering that came with it. History, though filled with remarkable individuals and incredible achievements, is also the story of humanity’s struggle against ignorance and pain. We are privileged to live in an age where knowledge flows freely, where the bounds of possibility are constantly being tested, and where the mysteries of the universe are beginning to unfold before our eyes. It is not to diminish the past, but to honor it, that we must remember: the present moment, fraught with its own challenges, is also a time of immense opportunity and potential.

In our own lives, let us embrace the privilege of this age. Let us strive to learn, to grow, and to improve the world around us. We are not bound by the limitations of the past, and we must not allow ourselves to become complacent in the face of the progress we have made. The future is ours to shape, and it is in our hands to use the gifts of science and technology to lift all people from the hardships that once defined human existence. Let us be grateful for the advancements we have, and let us honor the struggle of those who came before us by making the most of the world we now inhabit.