Buzz
If we take the mainstream media's perspective to heart, it might seem like the US is in a state of panic. We're often told that fear is widespread, and that we're heading into a dark period, but is that really the truth?
But don't worry. Everything will be alright in the end.
The world isn't as awful as it may seem. Your mind is naturally inclined to make situations appear worse than they actually are. Life may not be flawless, but it’s in a better state than ever before.
10. The Media Manipulates Your Mind to Make You Believe Things Are Worse Than They Are
There’s a psychological explanation for why we perceive the world as such a dark place. When we watch or read the news, our brains don’t fully recognize that we’re observing an artificial screen. They mistake the distressing stories we see for the true reality we live in—stories from all corners of the world.
This phenomenon is called "Mean World Syndrome." When it was first introduced in the 1990s, the researcher behind it pointed out that the average child watches 8,000 murders on television by the age of 12. After witnessing so much violence, we start to believe that’s the true nature of life. We see terrorist attacks in France, cartels in Mexico, or racist hate crimes in the US, and our minds react as if these events are happening right outside our door.
It alters our perception of the world. Research has shown that people who watch violent content on TV are more likely to engage in violent behavior themselves. Those who follow the news tend to be more fearful of crime than those who avoid it. We fear our neighbors because we assume the news depicts reality, but in truth, our reality is far brighter than we realize.
9. We Are Living in the Most Peaceful Era in History
Even with the constant coverage of terrorist attacks and police violence in the news, there has never been a safer time to be alive than right now.
Our early history was marked by extreme violence. Mass killings and wars were regular occurrences. Archaeological findings suggest that around 15 percent of all deaths during early civilization were due to murder.
Things have improved over time. Today, the global homicide rate is the lowest it’s ever been. In certain regions, this is a significant change. For example, Italy now has only about 1.4 percent of the murder rate it had in the 1400s.
Genocide is on track to be eliminated. While tragedies like ISIS and the Rwandan Genocide were horrific, they are mere blips compared to earlier times. In history, genocide was so prevalent that it made World War II seem like a peaceful era. Overall, the rate of mass killings has been steadily decreasing and is at its lowest point ever.
8. People Are More Equal Than Ever Before
Human rights are at an all-time high. For the first time in history, there is no nation that legally practices slavery. Racial tolerance is also at an unprecedented level across the world. Currently, fewer countries have laws that discriminate against minorities than ever before.
Women have more rights than ever before. They now represent 40 percent of the global workforce and are earning the most equal pay they’ve ever received. Even LGBTQ+ rights are at an all-time high. More countries have decriminalized homosexuality than at any point in recorded history.
Of course, things aren’t perfect. Women still earn less than their male counterparts, and female world leaders are few and far between. However, the progress is significant, and every trend suggests this momentum will continue.
7. Men Are Treating Women Better Than Ever
While we often hear about campus rapists and shocking sexual assault stories, instances of rape and sexual assault are actually less common than ever. In the early 1990s, sexual assault was so widespread that nearly one percent of all women were victims. Today, that rate has dropped to approximately 200 out of every 100,000 women, showing significant progress over just two decades.
Men are also treating their wives and girlfriends with more respect at home. There are now about one-third as many men who abuse their partners as there were 20 years ago. Additionally, treating women well is benefitting men, too. Today, fewer women than ever kill their husbands.
6. Children Are Safer Than They’ve Ever Been
Many parents today are worried about the safety of their children. We’ve created a fear-driven mindset that makes us believe that child molesters and kidnappers are lurking behind every corner.
Contrary to what we may think, children are actually safer than ever before. Crime rates in the US are at historic lows, and there are fewer predators targeting children specifically. Right now, a child has only a one in 1.5 million chance of being abducted, and only 3.1 percent of those abductions involve strangers.
At home, children are also safer from abuse than ever. Rates of physical and sexual abuse against children have both reached record lows.
5. The US Has More Entrepreneurs Than Ever
Despite the perception that Walmart is driving small businesses out of the United States, a surprising trend is emerging: the number of entrepreneurs in the US is higher than ever before. This seems counterintuitive, given the number of big-box stores we see on every street, but more people are starting their own businesses than at any other point in history.
The key is the Internet. With the ability to work online, more people than ever are starting their own businesses. No longer do we need a large investment for a building or inventory; we can simply launch a website and give it a try.
This shift means that more people than ever are working from home, setting their own hours, and creating jobs on their own terms.
4. Democracy Is More Widespread Than Ever
While many people are dissatisfied with the democratic process, the fact that they can express these frustrations is a significant accomplishment. It shows that they have the freedom to voice their opinions on politics without fear, and more people enjoy this freedom than ever before.
There are now more democratic nations worldwide than ever before, and it's not just the number of them that has increased. These countries also have more democratic policies and more accountable elections. It’s estimated that two-thirds of the nations across the globe conduct free and fair democratic elections.
Even the remaining autocratic nations, such as China, have become significantly freer compared to the past. The policies in China today represent a major improvement from the era of Stalin and Mao.
3. Our Brains Are Wired to Perceive a Decline
Although we often react strongly to negative events, these memories begin to fade with time. This phenomenon leads to a concept called declinism, which explains why you tend to feel that things were better when you were younger.
Most adults tend to vividly recall events from their teenage to early adulthood years, typically between the ages of 10 and 30. However, even those memories are not entirely accurate. The negative moments that once upset us in our twenties often fade, leaving behind mostly the positive recollections.
This results in what can be called a nostalgia filter. We remember the good times, but conveniently forget how often we were angry or frustrated with the bad moments. The bad things that we’ve forgotten, we tend to assume are recent issues, leading most people to believe life is getting worse.
However, that's not the case. The world isn't deteriorating. Even if some of the fears many people have do come true and things take a temporary downturn, there's every reason to believe that it's just a brief setback on the journey to a brighter future.
2. Negative Events Leave a Deeper Mark on Your Mind
So if the world really is doing well, why don’t we notice it? Is it the media’s fault for not showing us enough feel-good stories of flowers and puppies?
It's not quite that simple. Even if the media covered every event with the same focus, you'd still be more attuned to the negative news. This happens because of the positive-negative asymmetry effect, a psychological phenomenon that seems to be wired into our brains to keep us feeling down.
Our minds are wired to protect our self-image. They prioritize filtering out negative aspects more than absorbing positive ones, ensuring we associate the good with our identity. While this prevents self-loathing, it results in us spending most of our cognitive resources fixating on the bad.
1. The Number of People Living in Poverty Has Never Been Lower
Currently, 702 million people live in extreme poverty, surviving on just $1.25 a day. This constitutes 9.6 percent of the global population. While this figure might seem alarming, it pales in comparison to 1820, when a staggering 94 percent of people worldwide lived in severe poverty.
Poverty levels have been consistently decreasing, reaching their lowest point in history. According to The World Bank, there is even hope that extreme poverty could be eradicated within our lifetime.
This doesn't mean the issue is gone entirely. Just because someone is near the threshold of extreme poverty doesn't imply they're living a life of ease. However, it does indicate that fewer people are facing starvation than ever before, and the future looks brighter for all.
