10/21/21
It is undeniable that humanity as a whole is better off than 500 years ago. The same can be said for 100 years ago even if there are some areas of decline to be addressed. It can also be said for the past 20 years, and even probably 10 years. I feel confident assuming these things because on average and in aggregate, it has been consistently this way largely since the beginning of humanity.
One of my biggest frustrations in life is being surrounded by a culture of pessimism. (Because that's what the market rewards) The narrative of the media and culture is how awful is the state of the country and world are and rapidly declining either about some specific issue or just overall. So much is positioned as “the worst it’s ever been”. Everything is a crisis. Everything is unprecedented.
The reality is that humanity is on a slow plodding march toward Utopia. What people in the 1500s couldn't imagine as Utopia in terms of health and education and travel is now commonplace. We won't be there for it, but it's coming. You are all missing the forest for the trees.
In other words, you're all wrong. Shit's great! Sure, there are issues. Some of them are very serious and some getting worse. And I'm willing to work with you to address what we agree needs doin'. But in aggregate, right now is an amazing time to be alive. And is easily the best time ever. Not just crime, but in so many areas: health, freedoms, poverty, education, and even energy the major trends are trending positive and have been for a while. The present is substantially better than the past in aggregate and the only thing I can comfortably predict about the future is that in 100 years in the world will be, in aggregate, better than it is now. How can I confidently predict that? Because that is how it's been consistent since the beginning of humanity minus a few brief periods like the Dark Ages
So here’s a running list of support for my mindset. A bunch of random, completely apolitical long-term trends that show continual, impressive improvements in global or US trends around major issues. edit 1: These data were collected toward the end of 2019, and therefore right before COVID, which likely impacts many of these stats.
*****Of course not “EVERYTHING” - notably the rise in fascism and climate change. Climate is surely on a dire trend presently but ignored in the pessimistic projections of the reality of technical innovation that will drive the world to carbon negative within a few generations. The inevitability of nuclear fusion as a specific example
