some aspects of society have become more lax over time, but others have gotten harsher. You could say it is easier to get away with stuff now that certain things aren't held in high regard anymore, but with the development of things like the internet and global communication, there is a stronger collective conciousness that urges a lot of people to be critical of their place in the world. I think peoples' principles haven't gotten weaker, but they are different now. The principles of the past were more concrete and noticible because people used to live in more isolated communities, so their beliefs were more unique to their situation.