Every generation is a product of its time, and we often believe that what we experience here and now has never existed before. We tend to confuse economic progress and consumer society with the evolution of human behavior. It is clear that, materially and in terms of respect for human values, societies do improve. Yet as individuals, we continue to produce our thoughts in the same way we have for over a million years — and our basic attitudes toward life have not changed throughout this time.
If we were to make a list of elements that define our society, most of us would agree that it paints an accurate picture:
Highways, pizzas, concrete, apartments, sewage systems, thongs, delivery services, circuses, saunas, newspapers, public toilets, calendars, heating, the legal profession, disposable packaging, fish farms, faucets mixing hot and cold water, drinking water distribution, graffiti, sex toys, sustainable planning, advertising, and bookbinding.
In short, the list could go on endlessly — but it serves as a small example of what the Romans were already doing more than 2,500 years ago and have passed down to us.
We must understand the foundations of our culture and recognize that it is not only what is new that defines who we are.