I have many relatives that died in war. Specifically WWI, WW2, and Vietnam. The direct stories I’ve been told are insane - my grandfather ran communication wires on the German front line and he experienced great trauma.

Then I read books about these wars, and other wars throughout ancient time, and they casually mention so many killed and raped. People struggling to survive. The Japanese called Guadalcanal the “Island of Death” because so many starved and the cannibalism was rampant.

I’m not suggesting we ignore our problems today or minimize them based on what was common even 50 years ago. But it is very helpful to appreciate what we have now, the luxuries, the safety, the technologies, when our ancestors lived in such abject pain and difficulty.