Is the world getting better or worse?

We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one. But there’s no limit to the betterments we can obtain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing.

~ Steven Pinker from, Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers

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I feel constantly pushed to take on a myopic and biased view that the sky is falling, that this moment right now it the last chance to avoid catastrophe, that the human race has never been closer to the brink of– blah, blah, blah.

I choose to celebrate progress. I choose to shine light on the people who are making a difference. I choose to point out the positives. I choose to engage with only a tiny few of the myriad of complex issues the world faces because that’s the scale where I can make a difference. That’s the scale where each person makes a difference: Individual reasoned thinking, enlightened discourse, and responsible action.

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I write here most days — reflections, quotes, and working with the garage door up. This is one of more than 5,000 posts. Wander to another →

If you like the way I think, you might like what I’m reading. Every so often I send out 7 for Sunday — seven things I’ve savored, about five minutes, whenever they’re ready. No hooks, no nonsense. Read a recent issue →