In today's society, with the acceleration of the pace of life and the increase of work pressure, many people lament that their lives seem to have become an endless cycle of staying up late and working overtime. However, when we look back at ancient times, it seems to be very different from the modern way of life, when people worked at sunrise and sunset, and ate organic food, so why did they still live so short?
1. Limitations of medical technology
The level of medical technology in ancient times was far from being comparable to that of modern times. There are no antibiotics, no efficient surgical equipment, and even basic hygiene. A small wound, a common cold, can be fatal. In addition, the delivery process is very dangerous, and many newborns die as a result.
Second, the living environment is difficult
In ancient times, the level of productivity was low, and many necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter were difficult to secure. Natural and man-made disasters are frequent, famine and war make people's lives extremely difficult. In such an environment, people's physical health is easily affected, and life expectancy will naturally be shortened.
3. Undernutrition and hygiene
Although most of the ancients followed the dietary Xi of organic food, due to backward planting and breeding technology, the food type was single, resulting in insufficient nutrient intake. In addition, the lack of clean drinking water and basic sanitation is highly susceptible to various diseases.
Fourth, the inequality of the social structure
There was a great deal of inequality in ancient societies, with disparities in status between nobles and commoners, men and women. Women often face great danger to their lives due to the lack of good medical care and nutrition during childbirth. In addition, war and slavery have left many people living in extremely dangerous conditions.
5. Genetic factors and life expectancy
In addition to the external factors mentioned above, genetics is also an important factor in influencing longevity. The average life expectancy of ancient people was short, in part due to genetic factors that caused the body to be weak and disease-prone. In addition, the decline of physical functions is also an inevitable natural law as we age.
6. Plagues and Mass Infectious Diseases
Historically, plagues and mass infectious diseases have ravaged many times, causing a large number of deaths. For example, the Black Death in Europe and the flu in China were all important reasons for the short life expectancy of people at that time.
7. The influence of culture and faith
There are many unique insights into longevity and death that exist in ancient cultures. For example, influenced by religions such as Buddhism and Taoism, many people believe in concepts such as the cycle of life and death and the immortality of the soul, which have influenced people's views and attitudes towards life to a certain extent.
8. Summary and Enlightenment
Through the above analysis, we can see that although the ancients had a slower pace of life and a healthy diet, their lifespans were generally shorter due to the constraints of many factors such as medical technology, living environment, and social structure at that time. This provides us with an important enlightenment: although modern society has highly developed technology and medical facilities, we still need to pay attention to the living environment and our own health, improve self-care awareness, and cherish life.
Finally, I would like to ask you: After learning about the living conditions of the ancients, what new thoughts do you have about the lifestyle of modern people? What do you think we can learn from the wisdom of the ancients to improve modern life? Welcome to leave a message below to share your views! Let's discuss how to better cherish and protect our lives!