2100 all day every day
I don't think you read the question correctly. The average person. Not the average first world country person.
When you include the millions around the world living in poverty and without access to more than the most rudimentary of food, shelter, and medicine and then factor in the impacts of continuously increasing birth rates in third world conditions and how climate change will negatively impact world populations . . . well, it doesn't look very rosy for the 'average' human being on planet Earth.
Maybe it's you who didn't read the question correctly :) It says average "American," a first-world country.
Median income in America is somewhere around the $50k range, if I recall correctly. Because of the 1%-ers who are high outliers, the "average" is probably higher than that.
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But the current you isn't a choice. Average now or billionaire then is.
Right. I consider average now one level downgrade versus a billionaire then several level downgrade. I take average now over billionaire then.
I think this comes down to how some people are interested in relative wealth/lifestyle and others are interested in absolute wealth/lifestyle. I've heard some people here say that they would rather get a 3% raise that is a little higher than everybody else at their company than a 5% raise that is a little lower than everyone else, even though the 5% is more money in absolute terms. They don't feel valued, respected, etc. unless it is in relative terms. I think many (most?) people also judge the quality of their lifestyle not based on objective things they have, but based on what other people have. I have absolutely better indoor plumbing, food options, personal autonomy, blah blah blah than a billionaire in 1916, but as an "average" American, at least half of my peers around me have nicer stuff than I do. Psychologically, it can feel like I'm worse off if I measure based on comparison rather than actual objective benefits.
I personally think that comparison judging is a psychological/emotional fallacy to be overcome, and leads people to make decisions for themselves that make them worse off (see people who would take the 3% rather than the 5% raise based on their peers), so would choose Average American today.