> this opinion seems to be a relatively recent development as human civilization industrialized and material wealth reached more and more plentiful. "The unexa

> this opinion seems to be a relatively recent development as human civilization industrialized and material wealth reached more and more plentiful. "The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates (350BC) Your general point on the luxury of choice stands, but I think it goes much farther back than the industrial age. It's ultimately a question on meaning which is not new.