Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Modern Luxuries People Take For Granted On A Daily Basis

People Explain Which Modern Luxuries People Take For Granted On A Daily Basis
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

One of the biggest life lessons that has come out of Covid is the realization of the fact that we have been taking our lives for granted.

Medical treatments. Toilet paper. Soap. I use to lather in the shower like soap was falling with rain.

Even now, there are still half empty shelves at supermarkets. I remember when there was only excess. Modern living has made life pretty easy to survive. Do we ever stop and just say a 'thank you' to the universe? I didn't. I try to now.

Redditor u/dd28064212 wanted to compile a list of all the things we're lucky to have, and need to be grateful for, by asking:

What's a modern world luxury that we take for granted on a daily basis?

Just having a home is a modern luxury I've come to appreciate. People use to live in the wilderness. And now some people are forced to live in the street. A roof has definitely become a hot commodity. Which is sad.

And Papaya?

Hazel English Food GIF by Polyvinyl RecordsGiphy

"The fact that I can get mangoes in Missouri in the middle of the winter is pretty cool."

- Clintman

"This is something that's not even common across the world. I hadn't given it much thought until I moved overseas and could only get stuff when it was in season."

- alexrt87

"simple"

"Running water."

- karens_are_not_cool

"This! People don't realize how cool it is to have running water. They didn't have to go to a well with buckets and then carry them home."

- barkley131

"Technically, running water was more or less a thing before the modern world in some parts of the world, like the "simple" aqueduct in the roman empire. I think I read somewhere that some ME empire also had a more or less domestic running water system since the middle ages. but that's to fact check."

- Imalipusram_Abooh

Connections

"Internet."

- dpmoeni

"The fact that most people in the world possess a device which can communicate with anyone else on the planet in real-time, while also having instant access to basically the entirety of human knowledge, and that device has its own power source and fits in a pocket, is absolutely astounding."

- PromptCritical725

Temp Control

"Heating & cooling, life is so much more comfortable with the ability to change the temperature."

- Ultimatelee

"Ancient civilizations did actually have temperature control techniques albeit not machines that pump air that is cooled and circulated throughout a structure. The old methods were done through architecture though Egyptians we're known to hang wet reeds outside of their windows."

- JiovanniTheGREAT

Red all Year

happy homer simpson GIFGiphy

"You can eat tomato every month of the year coming from everywhere in the world thanks to refrigeration, greenhouses (EDIT) and conservation techniques (pasteurisation for example)."

- Imalipusram_Abooh

I love tomatoes. It's good to know I will never got without. Water. Everyone should have access to clean water. What a travesty.

Good Story

Spongebob Squarepants Popcorn GIFGiphy

"This is a small one but continuity in shows. Up until about 20 years ago, most shows were heavily episodic and had little to no plot carry over. It was a rarity when an episode ended without reestablishing the status quo."

- BW_Bird

People

"The majority of human knowledge, freely available in easy-to-search formats."

- zenyl

"This is really the thing that would make me apprehensive if I had the choice of "living in the 80s as the richest man in the world". I just love the internet too much. I wanna lay in bed and watch documentaries."

- MoxEmerald

Covid taught Us

"Toilet paper. It is just another thing we never think about until you're stuck with a poopy butt, scrolling Reddit while waiting for someone to bring you some since you forgot to get some from the garage."

- Ramen_Beef_Baby

"This is the first thing I thought of. I worked at a place that did not provide toilet paper; everyone had to bring their own and NOBODY shared. One day I was out of TP while in the restroom. I remember how gross and helpless I felt. Luckily I found some old Arby's coupons to wipe with. Don't take TP for granted!"

- startinearly

All Day and Night

"24/7 Entertainment. There are new TV shows, movies, shows, concerts, books, etc. popping up all the time, we have access to a wider range of diverse performances, stuff that past kings and emperors would have taken for wizardry. When I was a kid, there were some TV channels that stopped broadcasting anything at all after a certain hour. Now, TV is non stop. You can see shows and sports competition from the other side of the planet. And we still find a way to occasionally get bored."

- ChibiSailorMercury

Head Stuff

Odontologo Dentistas GIF by Clínicas Dentales Dra CarballoGiphy

"Dental care. It wasn't that long ago that it was a sign of wealth to have had all of your teeth removed and own multiple sets of dentures (e.g. a set for eating, a different set for when you weren't)."

- harperreynolds

Dental care should be part of the healthcare system that is open to all. It's vital to life. Be more grateful kids, you never know when everything you have could vanish.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

dog and cat snuggling together
Krista Mangulsone on Unsplash

Times Pet Owners 'Severely Underestimated' Their Pets' Intelligence

I've lived with cats—because no one owns a feline—most of my life. Some have been very clever creatures while others were real dingbats.

Family members have owned dogs whose talents also ran the gamut.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scott Bessent
Meet the Press/NBC News

Scott Bessent Blasted Over His Bonkers Suggestion For How To Bring Your Own Inflation Rate Down

Continuing to follow the example of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Meet the Press Sunday to blame Democratic President Joe Biden for the financial downturn caused by Trump's tariff fiasco, then lied repeatedly about the state of the economy.

Meet the Press host Kristen Welker played a clip of MAGA Republican Vice President JD Vance telling a conservative audience at a Breitbart News event that Americans owe the Trump administration "a little bit of patience"—apparently while they figure out what tariffs are and how they work since they're rolling back more of them to lower consumer prices despite claiming Trump's tariffs don't affect consumer prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lindsay Lohan attends the men's final during day fifteen of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Elsa/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan Is Now Sporting A New Accent—And Fans Aren't Sure What To Make Of It

In a twist freakier than a sequel to Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan has debuted yet another new accent—this time at the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards in Doha, Qatar.

Draped in a maroon, jewel-trimmed gown by The New Arrivals Ilkyaz Ozel and accompanied by her husband, Bader Shammas, and their 2-year-old son, Luai, the actress looked serene, elegant, and completely unbothered by the collective whiplash she was about to inflict on the internet.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jameela Jamil
Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

Jameela Jamil Speaks Out Against The Rise Of The 'Aesthetic Of Emaciation' Among Women In Hollywood

Content Warning: eating disorders, thinness as an aesthetic, emaciation in Hollywood

There's no denying that we've been gifted with some incredible music, television shows, and films this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour 2"
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; New Line Cinema

Trump Is Now Using His Presidential Sway To Pressure Studio Into Making 'Rush Hour 4'—And, Huh?

President Trump has reportedly pressured Paramount head Larry Ellison to make another sequel to Rush Hour, his favorite buddy-cop movie, as the company looks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

The first Rush Hour film, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, was released in 1998, received positive reviews, and made $245 million worldwide. Chan and Tucker returned for two sequels released in 2001 and 2007 respectively.

Keep ReadingShow less