Richer countries do so every 35 years.Ī common argument against the benefits of global income growth is that “only the rich get richer.” That’s nonsense, as not just the decreased share of poverty shows, but also the scientific known as the Kuznets curve. Nowadays, even poorer, less developed countries, like Rwanda or El Salvador double their income every 18 years. 50 years later, it had tripled again, and a third time by 1984. That’s because from 1820 to 1900, global income tripled. Just 200 years ago, over 90% of the world’s people lived in extreme poverty.

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.ĭownload PDF Lesson 1: Enlightenment has increased wealth while reducing poverty and inequality – and science can prove it. We still have problems, such as AI, terrorism, and the environment, but we must face them with reason.ĭespite what the news would tell you, the human story of the 21st century is one of progress, not misery.The United Nations bring humanism to a global scale, which has made our lives safer than ever.Wealth has increased not just in the West, but around the globe, all while decreasing poverty and inequality.Here are 3 lessons, one from each category: In it, Pinker uses data and storytelling to show us that the values of the Age of Enlightenment, science, reason, and humanism, still continue to improve our world. His latest work, Enlightenment Now, might be his finest.ĭoubling down on an idea he first explored in The Better Angels Of Our Nature, namely that our world is a better place than most people think, Bill Gates dubbed Enlightenment Now his new favorite book of all time. He’s written over a dozen books on various subjects, usually looking through the lens of science, such as The Language Instinct. I know I’m just a small fish, but luckily, there are others helping make positivity louder. That’s the main reason I choose to frame most things in a positive, optimistic view. Playing on our ancient instincts, sensationalist headlines grab us right in the gut and so we click. Sadly, the most popular spins are negativity, anxiety, and fear. If you have something unique to say and give it the right spin, word can quickly travel around the world. Nowadays, there are many ways to spread your message.

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