> but the satisfaction of a day’s work was.

Rose colored glasses. “We won’t starve today” is not spiritually fulfilling. It’s survival.

People romanticize the past. Modern life is more comfortable specifically because everyone isn’t struggling to survive. (Obviously some still are.)

> Many jobs also improved your fitness unless you were injured.

That’s a real big “if”. You can go get a construction job right now. It will get you more fit. But it will probably also get you injured, especially over the long term.

> Rose colored glasses. “We won’t starve today” is not spiritually fulfilling. It’s survival. People romanticize the past. Modern life is more comfortable specifically because everyone isn’t struggling to survive. (Obviously some still are.)

My argument is the suffering and misery in struggling to survive is actually constant despite the increase in comfort due to adaptation. Rather than losing sleep over hunger humans lose sleep over cultural stressors.

For humans chasing down prey over miles that suffering was likely constrained to the hunt when successful and they felt a sense of relief upon the kill.

Obviously all speculation because we can’t measure suicide rates and depression in our ancestors from long ago.

It’s only when we experience real physical suffering, death, or loss we come face to face with our privilege and comfortable lives.

It’s no different than someone vacationing somewhere beautiful versus living there. The brain adapts to the beauty and environment.