We will never know exactly how it was for the average person, so we might as well dream that it was better. Of course it wouldn't have been heaven, but maybe a bit less complicated at least ?
Less complicated in some dimensions, more complicated in others. There's no evidence that net complexity is higher today. Navigating social hierarchies has never been simple since before our ancestors came down out of the trees.
As others have pointed out in this discussion, we exactly know that in pre-modern times the average man died childless.
I was more referring to complexity of life in general, not reproduction wise. Also you cannot extrapolate a couple thousand year fluke to the entire pre-modern times.
