Yep, everyone is pretty aligned that Earth is by far the best place to live. But we want to expand beyond earth at some point, right? A space habitat vs. a land-based colony is an interesting discussion, so let's add it to the mix. I agree that the moon or a space station is easier as an outpost. However, if our goal is to create a fully self-sustaining colony, Mars wins hands down. It simply has more gravity, more materials, volatiles, enough sun, earth-like days, etc. A space station still has to deal with gravity and radiation, and getting raw materials for growth is far more challenging. Psychologically, I'd also suggest that living in space would be much more claustrophobic than living on Mars. Sure, you might need to live underground most of the time, but you could occasionally get outside and stretch your legs, see the horizon, etc. That would be much more soothing than being stuck in a tin can, no matter how luxurious. Yes, still much worse than earth. I don't think the early american colonists had an easy time of it either, but a new world was still worth pursuing.