Take the long view
2020 has been the perfect storm. A global pandemic unleashed upon a largely unprepared world, plunging tens of millions into unemployment and billions into some form of lockdown. It’s stolen 400,000 lives (at time of writing), robbed them of a relaxing summer break, a proper retirement, or simply more time with loved ones. For those 400,000, many spent their last few hours of life separated from their loved ones. Instead, heart-wrenching calls were given through the sterile platforms of Zoom, Skype and FaceTime.
Then the historic flames of racial injustice were reignited at a street corner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But through the power of social media, every street corner in the world was there to witness the police brutality and the ensuing protests. A minority of the protests soon erupted into chaos; looting, arson, rioting. Social media propelled this chaos, letting it overshadow the majority of protests, peaceful ones.
Social media rewards the immediate. From something as benign as a quick laugh to something uglier, a spark of anger or hate. However, genuine change for the better progresses slowly and tediously. Then perhaps it should come as no surprise that the majority of people believed incorrectly that extreme poverty is rising in the world and more generally, most believe that the world is getting worse.
The antidote: take the long view. Look past the immediacy of social media and there’s plenty for humanity to be optimistic about.
Look at the dramatic gains we’ve achieved in life expectancy. Rich, poor, in Asia or in the Americas, we are living significantly longer lives today than we have in the past. Just 70 years ago, the global life expectancy was a mere 45 years. Today, in 2020, it has skyrocketed to 73 years.
Child mortality has made similar improvements too. The tragic death of children, who have yet to celebrate their fifth birthday has been substantially reduced. More and more parents have been spared from that unimaginable and crippling heartbreak (heartbreak that often goes unreported in the news).
We’ve seen the advancements made in the quantity of life. However quantity of life isn’t everything: not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing (Seneca). But, people today aren’t just living longer lives, they’re living more educated, more prosperous, and freer lives.
We take it for granted today, especially for all those reading this right now: literacy. Two centuries ago, only the elite minority could read and write. Today, more than 4 out of 5 people can. We cannot underestimate this surge in literacy. It has allowed more people to access the wealth of knowledge preserved and multiplied in written language.
Money. It’s become a cliche for those who have plenty of it to lament its inability to buy happiness. However, more money does widen the choices people have. Choices over food, shelter, healthcare, and other things people value. It gives people the freedom to choose. And most countries have been able to offer more of this freedom of choice to its citizens because of positive GDP per capita growth.
Likewise, the paralysis of extreme poverty has been phenomenally reduced. Less than 1 in 10 people live with less than 1.90 international dollars a day, compared to 4 in 10 in 1980. And that percentage continues to fall as the United Nations is working to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030.
Social media has exposed the fragility of democratic systems, as we’ve seen in Hong Kong and more recently in the venomous political fighting in America, but it might have overshadowed the legitimate gains of democracy. The end of World War Two and the fall of the Iron Curtain gave way to multiple independence movements and the implementation of democracy. This matters because democracies are better at protecting human rights. Less instances of extrajudicial executions, political imprisonment, and disappearances. If people are unhappy with their government leaders, they’re able to vote them out. This is a relatively new concept and would have been condemned as a radical and dangerous idea just a century ago.
The world, according to social media and the news, may appear to be burning down. But the fundamental issues that have perpetually plagued humanity: life, poverty, education, and liberty have never seen such rapid progress. This didn’t happen by chance. It happened because of our innovation, philanthropy, and the belief of optimists everywhere, working to turn their optimism into reality. The doctor operating in a medically underserved community, the teacher educating the next generation, and the parent working long hours to widen their child’s opportunities.
However, the tremendous progress achieved so far does not mean it’s time to relax. Instead it should be a call to carry on. For the next half century, I’m sure new global issues will emerge such as climate change, privacy rights, and mental health. But I’m taking the long view; our best days lie ahead.
Thanks for reading. Am I too optimistic? Share your thoughts with me at guanjiefung@gmail.com
For sources, visit: https://ourworldindata.org/
For photo sources: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/virus-lockdown-eases-italy-ponders-what-went-wrong
https://www.voanews.com/usa/minnesota-calls-national-guard-quell-violent-protests-minneapolis
