Help! I'll give you a medal and become a fan.

What does this line tell you about men in the last years of the nineteenth century?

With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.

They lacked direction.

They felt bored.

They did important work.

They felt superior to anything else.

Question

Help! I'll give you a medal and become a fan. 

What does this line tell you about men in the last years of the nineteenth century?

With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. 

 They lacked direction.

 They felt bored.

 They did important work.

 They felt superior to anything else.

anonymous · Answer

I would probably say that they "felt superior to anything else" because of the word "complacency", which means to feel smug of ones achievements, and also because of the phrase "assurance of their empire over matter", indicating that they feel in control of what is happening around them. 

Hope this helped!