The human condition today is better than it's ever been, and

Tom Clancy, teller of tales and seer of the modern world, once declared: “The human condition today is better than it’s ever been, and technology is one of the reasons for that.” These words are not idle optimism, but a recognition of the vast river of progress that flows from centuries of human striving. He reminds us that though our age is not free of sorrow, humanity has lifted itself higher than ever before, and technology stands as one of the great pillars holding up this ascent.

For consider the long sweep of history. In ancient times, plague swept through villages and cities unchecked, famine stalked fields, and knowledge was the possession of the few. Life was brutal, brief, and uncertain. Yet today, because of technology, the world is connected in ways unimaginable to our ancestors. Medicines cure what once doomed whole generations. Machines feed millions where once the harvest failed. Voices can cross oceans in an instant, and light can pierce the deepest darkness. This is the progress Clancy speaks of: the rising of the human condition, drawn upward by tools forged through wisdom and innovation.

The story of Jonas Salk is a shining example. In the mid-20th century, polio paralyzed children and cast a shadow of fear over every summer. Yet through tireless research, Salk discovered a vaccine that turned terror into triumph. His invention, born of technology and perseverance, saved millions and banished a scourge from much of the earth. This is but one of countless testaments that the works of human hands, guided by vision, have transformed suffering into hope, and weakness into strength.

But Clancy’s words are not naïve; they carry with them the recognition that every tool of progress is double-edged. For the same technology that heals may also destroy. The splitting of the atom lit the lamps of energy but also unleashed the fire of Hiroshima. The internet spreads wisdom but also deception. Yet his point remains: despite the dangers, the arc of progress has lifted humanity higher than it has ever stood. The challenge is not to reject technology, but to master it, guiding it toward the light rather than the shadow.

Indeed, the ancients themselves foresaw this pattern. The myth of Prometheus tells of fire stolen from the gods and gifted to humankind. That fire could cook food, warm homes, and forge tools — yet it could also burn, ravage, and destroy. Fire was the first technology, and its lesson has echoed across ages: that the power of tools depends not on the flame itself, but on the heart of the one who wields it. Clancy’s statement is but a modern echo of that same wisdom, applied to satellites, medicines, and machines.

The meaning of his words is clear: we live in a time of unprecedented opportunity, when the human condition is lifted by inventions that connect us, heal us, and empower us. Yet this is not the work of technology alone, but of human spirit joined with human vision. To recognize the blessing of this age is to recognize our duty — to wield our tools with care, to extend their benefits to all, and to remember that progress must be tempered with compassion.

Therefore, let the listener act: give thanks for the gifts of this age. Do not despise technology, nor fear it blindly, but use it wisely. Seek ways to turn its power toward healing, teaching, and building, not toward destruction or vanity. Remember the struggles of the past, and do not waste the blessings of the present. For Clancy has spoken truly: never before has humanity stood so high, and never before has it borne such responsibility to ensure that the fruits of progress serve not the few, but the many.