Phil and Stephen explore why negativity and pessimism not only persist but remain dominant in a time of tremendous technological and social progress.

News stories discussed:

Why can’t we see that we’re living in a golden age?

Pessimism resonates. A YouGov poll found that just 5 per cent of Britons think that the world, all things considered, is getting better. You would think that the chronically cheerful Americans might be more optimistic — well, yes, 6 per cent of them think that the world is improving. More Americans believe in astrology and reincarnation than in progress.

Want To Be Happier And More Successful? Learn To Like Other People

Research suggests that the best self-help advice may have very little to do with yourself.

Nevertheless, most self-improvement strategies focus too much on the person who’s trying to do the improving. Much of the time, the same outcomes you’re trying to achieve by changing your own habits, attitudes, and behaviors depend on how you view other people.

In an age of robots, schools are teaching our children to be redundant

 

 

 WT 289-598