The best of times, the worst of times

The last few decades have been the most peaceful era in human history. Whereas in early agricultural societies human violence caused up to 15 percent of all human deaths, and in the twentieth century it caused 5 percent, today it is responsible for only 1 percent. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuri Noah Harari

Every morning newspaper headlines look increasingly grim. Pick your “existential” threat*:

• Viruses
• Climate change
• Nuclear war
• Sexual harrassment
• Police brutality
• Cyber attacks
• Random shootings
• Trump running for re-election

How could the world possibly get any worse?

Yet…

I often think of a theory given by the cultural anthropologist Jennifer James that human beings at some point in their lives recognize their own mortality. That, yes indeed, we all will die. And somehow this reality is easier to reconcile if we believe we will be leaving a world that is getting worse rather than getting better.

While I grumble and fret with the best of them about the negative happenings of the 21st century, I also recognize that I would not want to live in any other era of human history. As recognized by Harari (and others like Steven Pinker), our world is the freest of violence that it has ever been. While modern medicine still has unsolvable diseases to eradicate, I would not want to be treated by doctors trained even 100 years ago. World-wide, poverty is decreasing (Factfullness, Rosling) and awareness of institutional racial and sexual bias is growing and being addressed. Even in painfully slow ways, businesses, politicians, and individuals are taking action to slow climate change.

Our world is far from perfect. As Charles Dickens observed over 150 years ago:

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. ― A Tale of Two Cities

James’s theory of easing the reality of one’s mortality does not apply to everyone. I genuinely want the world to grow safer, more peaceful, more equitable, and more environmentally stable. Although I will not be a resident, my children and grandchildren will live many more decades. I wish this for them.

* Being a grumpy old guy, these and other headlines and click-bait subjects are often topics of discussion with other old guys. There is legitimacy for concern around all the threats listed above. People are and will suffer because of some of these serious problems. I acknowledge that I live in a safe, middle class, suburban neighborhood in a politically stable (more or less) country. My problems are almost always first world problems.