Would you rather be rich in 1019 or poor in 2019?

[Independent voter]

Say you're 25 years old. Would you want to be one of the 10 richest men in France in 1019? Or work as a forklift driver in a warehouse in France in 2019?

[Spectral]

Rich in 1019. The impact of status on happiness is larger than the impact of material goods.

[Binaris]

1rather be poor with internet, besides. 25 years old at that time means you only have another 10 years or so before you shit yourself to death

[xenogear3]

This is a very good question.
It shows your personality.

Are you happy/unhappy because you are better/worse than others?

Besides internet, the biggest difference is the age expectancy.
People in 1900 can die any time without reason.

[Donald Hellscream]

Poor in 2019, atleast I won't die from easily treatable or preventable diseases.

[meheez]

The richest people in the world even at 3k BC had golden burial masks/golden coffins etc. Just look at Ancient Egypt. So 1019 is better if you want just stuff per se thats better than anyone else has.

But you get other benefits in 2019.

[Doctor Amadeus]

What's the deal with France. Personally would take being poor now, do to medicine and access to technology.


Oh and off topic, Hubcap no offense intended, but it's a mistake to "Need more information" as an option for a poll. Speaking as someone who has made polls and not telling you how to do yours.

But generally poll threads are still threads, you want people to participate, giving someone a "Need more information" is counter productive, because they can always ask for more information in the thread, and then select one of the options you provided for.

It creates more opportunity for dialog

[Rafoel]

Somebody in the future: "Would you rather be rich in 2019 or poor in 3019??"

Me: Why the hell would I want to be poor in 3019, being rich in 2019 makes me happy enough.

People from 1019 would also laugh at the proposition of being poor in 2019. But only because they never experienced it.

We experienced "the future". There are hundreds of every-day items kings of 11th century would pay tons of gold to have.

If I wanted to choose between being born rich in 1019 or poor in 2019, I choose 1019. As for being magically transported right now... never.

[Donald Hellscream]

What makes you think a forklift driver would be considered poor? lol

- - - Updated - - -



Maybe in Denmark.

Well obviously I am gonna assume that I would still be in Denmark where healthcare is readily available to everybody.
If not then I'd probably still choose to be poor since I can't fathom what life would be like a thousand years ago, besides the obvious being completely fucked if you get pneumonia etc.

[Independent voter]

It's a myth that everyone died at 30 in the medieval period. If you were one of the 10 richest men in France you'd have access to the freshest food and the more sanitary conditions.

Lots of people made it to their 80's in the medieval period, especially if they were rich.

[White Goodman1]

I bet I would have more sex as rich dude in 1019 than as a poor dude in 2019.

[justandulas]

poor in 2019. No question about it. Even poor, your life span is probably double what it was 1000 years ago. back then, if you hit 14 you were an adult basically and 40 years old a grandparent or dead.

[El Caballero de Olmedo]

As much as it would be a hard life being poor in 2019 France, I don't see the meaning of having gold in a time where there is no hygiene, no medicine or any kind of defense towards the incredible amount of health hazards.

Amongst many other things that we have grown to enjoy and need. Heat, electricity, drinkable water, food preservation, food diversity etc...

I sincerely don't envy any french lord sitting in a damp hall, loosing your children to a cold and having to eat saggy bread in almost complete darkness because the only light you have are from your quite expensive candles.

I'm sure I'm leaving many things, but we live in the most advanced time of our history. Let's not forget that, despite everything.

[Donald Hellscream]

It's a myth that everyone died at 30 in the medieval period. If you were one of the 10 richest men in France you'd have access to the freshest food and the more sanitary conditions.

Lots of people made it to their 80's in the medieval period.

Maybe but if you happen to catch something bad like pneumonia, you'd still be fucked, where as today it is easily treatable albeit with a long recovery process.

[Daedius]

Rich in 1019. The impact of status on happiness is larger than the impact of material goods.

Until you realise your family can easily die to simple sicknesses like any of the common peasant and all the "treatments" in the world won't save them. Nevermind the high mortality rate of babies, and how frequent deaths are in birth labour amongst mothers.

Yeah no... I'd rather be in an age where everyone's got access to actual medications and treatments.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

people considered poor still have access to food and shelter in 2019, typically. rich in 1019 means you would live like you do now, except without electricity, internet, television, refrigeration, etc...

[Depakote]

That's a loaded question.

[Sughs]

Medicine sucked in 1019, there was no Internet or any technology. What could you do even if you were rich? Fuck until you die from some STD? What would your life objectives be? 2019 even as poor is way better.

Now, if you asked rich in 1919 or poor in 2019, that would be much harder to answer.

[Daedius]

people considered poor still have access to food and shelter in 2019, typically. rich in 1019 means you would live like you do now, except without electricity, internet, television, refrigeration, etc...

In the West it would. Here in Ireland anyway -- social welfare gives you €200+ a week per person, and free [council] housing.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

Here in Ireland anyway -- social welfare gives you €200+ a week per person, and free [council] housing.

that's awfully generous