We’ve legit left the planet and put people on the moon. The past hundred years has absolutely been something special in the history of the human race

The person you're replying to seems to argue that the founders of our civilization were more vital than us, who are merely building upon their legacy.

I did say “seems more vital” because I have read a lot of the classics, for enjoyment and instruction, and find a lot of current writing on the topics discussed in classical literature to be derivative at best.

TBF there’s a survivorship bias in older work: the stuff people found useful has been more likely to survive. Also a more modern (i.e. anyone in the subsequent couple of millennia) has to say something new, not just repeat the old. Which is harder to do.

I’m not arguing that the current world isn’t amazing (went to the moon! Reduction in poverty and higher living standard! I’m typing this comment on an iPad!). Simply making the point that it’s hardly uniquely so (and arguably the 2021st century has so far not been the peak of technical or social development).

What is unusual of the current age is the widespread belief that the current times are somehow unusual.

It's a certainty that people in the future will look at us and say "they were merely building the future for us" and "right now is most important, not back then".

We have been saying this forever, and will continue to do so.

Well we are building on their legacy there’s no arguing than that. But I don’t think they’re more vital than us and I do think we are living in a more vital time.