Before the technological revolution, the ties binding the family and the community together were stronger. Today, we are separated from one another by communications on computers, telephones and even through fax. These modes are more and more replacing the face to face conversation. Through this change, the handshake is eliminated. The hug is destroyed.
Eye contact is no more.
I think people were more likely to try and work with society in the past than they are today. One of the biggest fears in history was being ostracized by your peers, or thrown out of the village, never to return. A good deal of that had to do with the fact that most humans hunted, farmed and worked together for the betterment of their communities. An individual could not survive in the wilds without tools or provisions. But the wilds are gone and those days have ended.