We live in a time of change.
I suppose that all people who have ever lived would agree. Which is to say that humans have always faced times of change. The question is whether we’re moving our world in a positive or negative direction.
In many ways, the world is better off now than when I was a kid (in 1975).
- Today, more people have access to computers and smart phones. This means that more information is more readily available.
- Today, more people have access to powerful tools. With a smart phone, you can create stunning photos, videos, simulations, games, and more.
- Today, global life expectancy has increased to about 74 years.
- Today, the rate of extreme global poverty has decreased to under 10%.
- Today, technology has improved almost every area of our lives.
Unfortunately, the path to a better world has many twists and turns. In some ways, the world is not better off now than when I was a kid.
- Income concentration at the top has increased almost everywhere. In the United States, fewer people can expect to “do better” than their parents.
- The rate of global warming has increased by a factor of three since 1975.
- Democratic values have eroded.
- Social connection has decreased, and loneliness has increased.
- Political polarization has increased.
I could add more examples to each of these lists. Today, our world is both better and worse off than when I was a kid.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
— Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
While I am endlessly frustrated by how far we have to go, I agree with Martin Luther King Junior.
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
— Martin Luther King Junior
We have made the world a better place, and we can continue to do so!
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