That question deserves the sort of dissertation that I only wish I had the time to compose. I would say the short answer is that as humankind's knowledge and advances in the material sciences has increased, it has little improved its understanding of itself.
We can now do things in the material world that would have rightly astounded our forebears, but we still have trouble fixing the human spirit. In fact, we've actually degraded as a culture. It's a recipe for disaster on a global scale. As a culture becomes more adept at manipulating the physical realm, it ought to be advancing as well in the area of human consciousness, morality, ethics, personal and group integrity, etc.
Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case, which bodes ill for the future.
Indeed. I would also add that the degeneration of our culture has accelerated in the last 50 years.
It has been so rapid that it is observable.