"History is only the register of crimes and misfortunes." Voltaire

added to which, people only seem to remember the good times of life experience.

So we create the illusion thatwe have it much better off than the ancients. Maybe it was all fine and modern for them too.

"Everything's fine today, that is our illusion." Voltaire
also, people complain about daily life. So this creates the following illusion:

Life before i was born: Rubbish (getting gradually better over time)
Life since i was born: Great ("we used to have it so good")
Life now: Rubbish ("Life sucks")
(or
Life now:great!(everything's alright for ever) )
Life in the past (when talking to kids/successors): "you kids have it so much easier nowadays"
Life in the future:
either "Things can only get better" / "It's getting better all the time"
or "It's all downhill from here" (which could mean better or worse)
or "This country's going straight to hell!"
therefore summed up as Uncertain.

(why do i keep getting images of Yarpole church?)

does anyone actually know anything at all?
(if you do, then please let me know!)