Interesting I asked that eleven years ago. I would probably be dead today if not for my medical advances from the last fifty years since I asked that question.

A hundred or more years ago, for the common man, daily life was tougher anyway. I know from farming life it was tougher then. When I think what they did with a saw, shovel, pickaxe, horse, oxen, cart, and probably a lot of men, and built canals, levee banks, cleared land etc and what we need to do the same today. What they did then with what they had, we would find impossible today. Ordinary life was also more of a chore, required more work and effort.

As Iqbal points out, for the very rich, it may not have been any more difficult at all. Hot and cold running servants or slaves. Doing whatever was needed.

For the average person they needed either to be an incredible adventurer to travel across the world for months just to get there, travelling as cheaply as possible, maybe even working their way. Or they were seeking their fortune. Or they were seeking a new life as a settler. It should be noted, that when my ancestors left Prussia in the 1830's they found life in raw and unsettled Australia easier than life at home. Lots and lots of work, but the open spaces, open and empty land for the taking meant a better life. I think where we think about does this modern convenience have blue-ray, they were thinking about food for the next day, and the next year.

The wealthy English and Europeans actually viewed Australia with distaste. It was a place of common and hard work. Not like East Africa, or an earlier time India, where luxuries existed and a good time could be had.

As a common person, and with some of the same influences as I had when younger, I know if I had been asked to accompany someone, like one of the local rich individuals who hunted tiger in India, or elephant or lion in Africa, I would definitely have gone. If it was instead, setting off on a steamer working my way there, then buying whatever coulkd be bought with whatever small amount of funds I might have and setting off to try to make a living or fortune from hunting ivory, from hunting skins, or meat for market, or what ever other opportunities one hoped to exploit, I don't know if I would have done that. I personally am a planner and need to see the chances a plan would work out. If such an opportunity looked feasible with proper contacts and chances, then yes, otherwise probably no.

As for - are we less than we were? Well if I grew up on the farm back then. Was able to be reasonably intelligent AND educated (education is a big plus today) yes I could have done it. I would have been tougher. Today probably not, if I was twenty-five again, younger and stupider, probably yes, but not today.

So the answer is YES, we are lesser than we were. But also many of us still are willing to face a challenge, so that doesn't mean we would say NO either.