RE:Deprivation economics the raiser of animal spirits I don't think we have ever been at peace, we've had a blip of it (maybe) in the last 100 years in 1st world countries.
People have lost sight that life was never easy, since the beginning life revolves around survival, untill the advent of electricity got the ball rolling fast
Before electricity, most of your day is based around preparation for survival. You didn't have time to have anxiety. Forget living in the north, now you are spending all day trying to survive while also planning and storing for the winter.
Without challenges and "problems" there would be no reason for growth. Why would you change if you are content? So, it could be assumed that since we were a single cell organism we have had confrontation and challenges which we adapted to and evolved from.
Millions of years of kill or be killed, adapt or die, 99.9% of all species on earth that ever existed are extinct. We are in a mental crisis with people not being fulfilled anymore, you can try religion, drugs, working out, bottom line is people need challenges. Good or bad and they will keep happening for better or worse