The default state of humanity is poverty, ignorance, and self-destruction.
Sometimes, a few humans get their act together and make a civilization that rises above monkey desires: shiny object (consumerism), self-importance (status), retaliation against the smarter or wealthier (socialism).
But that’s rare. Most of the time, humans are just busy working themselves back down the evolutionary ladder, and using justifications like Progress and Morality to enforce it upon others.