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Award-winning journalist Gregg Easterbrook believes that practically everything is getting better for almost everyone. Living standards, longevity, and material security are improving; crime, welfare, pollution, and most diseases are in decline. Personal freedom has never been greater, while democracy is expanding worldwide, and incidence of global warfare is at its lowest level in decades. Although the evidence is compelling, many people refuse to believe it; studies show that the percentage of the population that is happy has not changed in fifty years. Are we living in a fantasy world in which things appear worse than they really are? Do we have our heads in the sand? Alternatively, does Mr. Easterbrook? Read this contrarian's account of a Candide-like existence for all, and find out for yourself.… (more)
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Is the world doing better?
The second part of the book discusses positive psychology, that is, the study of what makes people happy as opposed to what makes them dysfunctional. He makes the simple argument that it's better for you to be good and forgiving. (Or as in the words of the old rhyme, "a Sunday's child, bonnie and blythe".)As the book progresses, the supporting footnotes get rarer and rarer. I don't hold much to psychology but I can understand the sentiment. He quotes the 19th century essayist John Lubbock, "Happiness is a thing to be practised, like the violin" and I totally agree. I long ago decided that I would rather be made a fool than learn not to trust people, and I live by it. (This rule is of course practised with moderation. I still wouldn't pick up hitchikers near the maximum security prison.)
The book ends with Easterbrook talking about any random thing he ever wanted to write a book about. Does the solution to violence in the Middle East have anything to do with the thesis of the book? No, but hey, while he has a captive audience...! And despite the theme of "things are really great, don't worry", he ends with chapters on how to change the world for the better. This is of course the problem. Can you be happy and revolutionary? Do you need crusaders with their extra high seratonin levels to make the changes that will lead to betterment of society? How can you be happy without being complacent? That message Easterbrook doesn't really address.
In all, I found this book interesting but not captivating. It was primarily interesting to hold a dialogue in my head with a reasonable conservative writer, one who takes the time to reference his points. Perhaps the talking heads on Fox would do the same if they had time, but at least I have a better understanding now of how someone can come to these positions.
It started out strong, but got too speculative (and kind of preachy) toward the end.
I do like the concept of a "Gratitude Diary", though.
You don't have to buy his arguments, but he does make them pretty persuasively. It's true, the world is a lot better off than 50-100 years ago. Living standards have gone up on almost all measures, most of the problems of the past have been solved, people work less than they used to, live longer and retire earlier, get better educations and have more freedoms. To Easterbrook's credit, he does admit that not all problems have been solved, and that they still need more work: there's still more poverty in Western culture than we should allow, still more hunger, still too many people without health coverage. But on the whole, things do seem to be getting better.
But then, why are people getting less happy? Easterbrook's views are that people now feel that their lives lack meaning and drive, that the world focuses mostly on the negatives rather than how things have improved, that people have moved from seeking things they need (desires that can be satisfied) to things they want (desires that can't, leading to greater dissatisfaction), focusing too much on the small picture, collapse anxiety (the feeling that culture has peaked and is bound to fall apart sooner rather than later), trying to keep ahead of everyone else, and the sense that the future won't really be improved, among other factors. It's a pretty daunting and exhausting list, but it's all accurate, as far as I can tell.
His broad solution is that people should move to being more positive and doing things that can lead to more meaning in their lives, along with some specific policies to follow (such as providing a living wage domestically and greater foreign aid; I won't provide a whole list), and it actually is pretty positive, that this is something we may be able to get past. I suggest reading the book, just to get a full sense.
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, or find it quite so thought-provoking, and I did disagree with some points (want less sprawl? Well, that means getting rid of immigration... you don't want that, do you?), but it's a very strong book, all around. It's slightly out of date now, but it stands up pretty well, and I'd recommend it, for sure, if you have the time.