Technology changes things: Since it allows for a way higher degree of the control of nature and other people it empowers the singular human with his damned will to declare total dominance over nature and civilization. It brings him the tool to break out of the cycle that kept him trapped for the last few hundred years and makes him move up(or down depending how you look) in the bigger cycle beyond.
Well, in a material sense there is more controlled stuff to feed mouths, build things and transport goods. In a psychological sense however technology is devestating. Human psychology was never designed to get its material needs fulfilled or be in a social web with billions of others
Motivation and self control rely on a kind of immediate human need. Like hunger or cold
Like knowing the enemies will kill you if you don't fight or you will starve in the winter if you don't work
It could also be projected needs like the need to bring sacrifices to your Gods to calm reality. But we feel too smart for that nowadays.
Greed is one of the last sources of motivation people still have when all the "good" sources of motivation are gone. Maybe you won't save your village, maybe it won't make any difference to your life if you become wise or stupid, but with the power of greed you can atleast have a nicer car than your neighbor
Well, depends on the amount of self-deception I guess...
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