You do have a point about how people have become increasingly mentally softer, but depression really shouldn't be brushed off as a "meme word". Every mind has a different threshold.[...] Not everyone can just "man up" and deal with it. You should understand that all of us are wired differently, and try to understand and accommodate the differences rather than denigrate them.

Yes, yes, YES!

Sure, life was harder back in the day, and hence our forefathers were more mentally conditioned. Life has gotten much easier since then, and we evolved accordingly.

Regarding this, in a way I can definitely agree that depression is some sort of luxury condition that usually only takes place once your basic needs (think Maslow's hierarchy of needs) have been met. When your brain power is not almost completely occupied in survival mode, then the gates for emotional and psychological suffering open. This is why depression is so prevalent in developed countries, while poorer countries that objectively would seem to have a lot more reasons to feel depressed (like in the hand-chopping scenario @kyriacos described) it is almost unheard of.

And unlike you seem to think so, depression actually has a very strong scientific foundation. It changes your brain chemistry.

Definitely. Worse: your brain gets rewired in this "negative setting" and it takes a lot of effort to cultivate the good circuits again.

Great comment, @belpheg0r!