Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers | Steven Pinker

Was 2017 really the "worst year ever," as some would have us believe? In his analysis of recent data on homicide, war, poverty, pollution and more, psychologist Steven Pinker finds that we're doing better now in every one of them when compared with 30 years ago. But progress isn't inevitable, and it doesn't mean everything gets better for everyone all the time, Pinker says. Instead, progress is problem-solving, and we should look at things like climate change and nuclear war as problems to be solved, not apocalypses in waiting. "We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one," he says. "But there's no limit to the betterments we can attain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing."
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[@reluctantuser6971]

Yeah, but thirty years ago I was much younger.

[@RAFITAESTRADITA]

You got it!!!!! Deeply in our heart we still seeking for salvation from the abyss of death.

[@boroqouqouc]

Enjoy your old life sir

[@withinyouwithutyu1324]

I was very much not alive

[@allanfloyd8103]

That's totally the cause of 'good old days syndrome,' those days were better because you were young and EVERYTHING was better for you!

[@danw1374]

30 years ago I was 16, now mid 40s and heading into middle age.

[@HolmesDaRealist]

"We must see them as problems to be solved and not apocalypses in waiting". Best line 13:00

[@omowako]

@BJames3351 what is your logic that you won't benefit from apocalypses being solved? No hate, just curious

[@omowako]

@BJames3351 I mean...you don't have to fund people...that's of course your choice, but I'm sure that if problems like global warming are solved it would benefit you no matter what

[@NelsonFilmsStudio]

KKrebia unless he is already in his latter years and would likely not see the effects of such an event.

[@ravicaju4450]

But the overton curve obliges us not to act that way, at least not publicly.

[@mistyminnie5922]

The world isn't getting worse, but the spread of bad news has become easier.

[@eZU4nQsWN9pAGsU38aHj]

Which in itself is a net positive overall.

[@camerontaylor7471]

That’s just a little loopy loop you went through! Lol the world is getting worse! We are destroying the earth and our precious animal friends just so we can exploit them as a resource for our own ignorant and delusional dependencies. While simultaneously we are destroying our selfs and the people we love. Because we force each other to serve us and play some sort of degrading role within a world human slave trade we call civilization. When you go out to eat a restaurant, you need another man to be oppressed and broken ,in order for them to act and willingly perform whatever you need them to provide so we can wine and dine...

[@ian9859]

@@camerontaylor7471 the world isnt getting worse.. but people like your mindset are

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

*alittlelost*, nicely summed up. Needs to be a fridge magnet in our minds

[@ahkenatenoptimose6216]

Not worse for you maybe cus of your skin while african population has been reduced now dome rob an kill to servive and forced in this situation

[@audreymuzingo933]

"If you tell people there's nothing they can do, they will do worse than nothing." --Margaret Atwood.

[@GCKteamKrispy]

2016: worst year ever 2020: let me introduce myself

[@avidian888]

At least the Islamic terrorism has mostly been defeated. That's progress I suppose. The racism and bigotry was always there.

[@squamish4244]

Lately I have been questioning the extent to which Pinker's rich white male status has perhaps obscured his view of how bad things are in the details, even though he is still right at a macro level. And boy, as we have seen, the devil is in the details. Not long ago, repeating Pinker's arguments about racial violence online to a bunch of black people made me come down with a serious case of whitesplaining. I'm still peeved at the man for helping lead me in that direction, which I never thought I'd do.

[@mara24lima]

2020: let me introduce myself: I am in Brazil, Bolsonaro is the president and people are dying for covid 19. Could it get worse?

[@BlursedSYNthesis]

I dont know, i had lost faith that anything would stir Americans to action, and now we have had some of the biggest and most diverse protests in our history, and it seems like many politicians are actually listing. I wish it had happened sooner and with less people getting hurt, but even here i do think there is progress. People need to stop assuming that someone saying "things are getting better, so there is hope" is actually secretly saying " your problems are not valid, so shut up." For me at least, hope is a rallying cry, not a way to wallpaper over someones feelings.

[@squamish4244]

Yes, that is true, all that has happened this year has been a whirlwind of rapid change. I still think Pinker's 'disconnected' (socially distanced!) style of treating humans only like assemblages of data and what I know about his ultra-mechanistic view of the mind make me feel like he is disconnected from emotion, which of course he isn't. His style is a factor in why I ended up whitesplaining, though.

[@olgakarpushina492]

I laughed my head off at "2016 was the worst year." Funny how much context matters!

[@JacobAnawalt]

Exactly his point, that we would treat how we’ve reacted to 2020 as though it were the plague or even the “Spanish “ influenza shows how well our consumption of news and social media is treating us.

[@thejudgefrom69]

2016 was the best year for me..

[@geordiethompson1634]

Tell me about it... lol 2022

[@olgakarpushina492]

@@geordiethompson1634 Heard about the riots in Kazakhstan yet? I was there, met the looters while walking around the block with my parents who came to visit on the day when it all started. No, 2020 wasn't that bad after all, eh?😉

[@JessicaPradoHanson]

We were so naive in 2016!

[@pattybaselines]

Bro imagine being born even 100 years ago?!? We are incredibly lucky.

[@jeremymoore145]

very

[@shanebrownlee69]

I love coming back to this lecture from time to time.

[@jeffmolenda5718]

Totally. Me too. The message is very evident in today's coronavirus world.

[@JoeVirella]

Same!

[@misterlyle.]

Oh yeah. I repeatedly have to refer people to hear what Dr. Pinker has to say in this talk. Pinker has demonstrated exceptional insight and wisdom.

[@living4adrenaline]

I'm putting you on the news

[@shanebrownlee69]

@@living4adrenaline what on earth are you talking about? Lol

[@Tht1kidYouKnw]

i think social media has amplified everything. things may not be as bad as 30 years ago but with social media people just love to complain, hate and voice their negative opinions.

[@cloudwolf3972]

Agree, they love to yell the problems and preach the solutions. Social media is a cancer, we should be working to fix this.

[@cloudwolf3972]

Social media is the reason for me to quiting my Computer Science course and try Pedagogy and Andragogy. I want to be a teacher and change at least a couple hundreds of minds.

[@Erickzon]

Agree, I think we were not ready for social media and at this point I think it's a mistake to push for more super connectivity. I think people miss being "disconnected" a lot.

[@dangernoodle2868]

This cannot be understated, a lot of people think that the discourse that happens online is "for the lulz" but it was actually "serious business" after all. The Zucc got brought in for questioning for a reason. Whatever is happening on the internet is happening everywhere and in everyone's private lives, hidden away where we cannot see how it has radicalised us measurably and profoundly. Meanwhile, people of the older generation see the debates happening online as somehow irrelevant instead of the first world-wide forum for debate of all intellectual levels or lack therof.

[@kristendelwin]

There are still massive environmental problems and about a billion people living in poverty. If people aren't aware of problems they won't do something about it, and we can do something about it. I think the point the speaker makes is that we can fix problems if we work on them, not that we should ignore problems.

[@yapdog]

You wouldn't believe how harshly I always get attacked online when I said we're better off now than we were by nearly every measure. I've been saying this for the past 10 years, but, no matter their political leanings, people really don't like to hear it, calling me ignorant.

[@frantabor7319]

"Pollyanna" is an insult to "intellectuals, but Pollyanna's are more fun to live with than most intellectuals, and live longer.

[@shiningdawn8578]

The measure is simple. Are people happier now than they were 30 years ago? Are they more afraid now than they were 30 years ago, or less? The numbers mean nothing if people are unable/unwilling to perceive them.

[@aronhighgrove4100]

Being complacent is not happiness. A pet dog is also "happy". It really depends on what you measure. With the much higher unemployment rate and people needing to work on many or low wage jobs compared to 30 years ago, certainly has NOT improved happiness.

[@squamish4244]

Happiness is indeed the crux of the matter, and yet Pinker spends little time on it. He doesn't even throw up a graph for it here like he does for every single other claim he makes. It is a slippery concept to define, and we've devoted amazingly few resources to studying it, partly because it's an element of subjective awareness, and for 500 years science avoided studying subjective awareness or consciousness directly. We don't really know whether people are all that subjectively happier now than before. We do know certain things. Our expectations rise along with our standard of living. Some people seem to have a baseline level of happiness that is higher than others, regardless of what is going on in their lives. Many aspects of internal well-being can be shifted through training the mind. One rather shocking statistic is that suicide rates have not budged in 75 years in the United States, despite vast increases in wealth. Pinker barely ever discusses suicide. I guess it wouldn't make for a nice graph. We have done many studies on people's level of income and their reported happiness. There is a strong correlation between meeting one's basic needs and happiness, and after that, there is no correlation.

[@yapdog]

@valar -- taking what you into account, subjective stats, is the world, as a whole, better off or worse than in years past? That's the original premise and I think that the dissenters miss it when they focus on some individual metric, real or imagined, that concerns them personally. They talk about "head in the sand" or what have you without realizing they're actually missing the point.

[@stevem.1417]

The paradox of progress is that we are surviving better, but today we are less connected to each other and our communities, thus being more pessimistic, open to the media indoctrinating us with imagery and unethical values. Yet we still need this kind of balancing for accuracy and feeling better about our problems. Thank you, Steven.

[@swollenproperty8682]

That’s probably not even true. Maybe your perspective

[@kristibell30]

Hmm, but really we are more connected than ever before, e.g., I am communicating with you now which I couldn't have done before. I can get on my local FB page and share/swap recipes or plants, or crime news, or bears in area with my local community as it happens, which wouldn't have been possible before. "Media" is a very broad term. People will always find an echo chamber if they want and can confirm their bias, but there is more information available to people than ever before, and other opinions to hear, if one is open to knowledge.

[@Simon2d3d]

@@swollenproperty8682 Yeah Steve, speak yourself mate haha

[@realtlt]

2016: "worst year ever" 2020: "hold my beer"

[@martins3037]

Remind me, what happened in 2016?

[@realtlt]

@@martins3037 watch the video, they mentioned that there

[@dariusbekker2602]

"When was the last time the world wasn't falling apart?"

[@SP-ri7jo]

Stone Age

[@kokofan50]

65 million years ago wh n the asteroid hit because the world completely fell apart.

[@tgdhsuk3589]

when the usa was still a premodern country if that makes yet , i cant really explain what i mean lol im tired dont kill me

[@jasperskies1923]

The Fuzz What is wrong with you.

[@percyblakeney3743]

For who?

[@waelx30]

People, he said it clearly , We are not perfect but we are better and we are making a progress. Not perfect.

[@kms50549]

Getting more depressed and lonely at a fairly rapid rate though.

[@Bee_Bill287]

We are far from making progress 70 billion land animals and 220 billion animals are slaughtered for nothing every year this is not progress this is going backwards... the USA drops bombs every second somewhere in the world this is not progress... millions of people die from cancer, heart disease, diabetes every year this is not progress...there are still starving people in the world this is not progress.. 1% of people own more money then the whole 99% of people again this is not progress...

[@Nosdrapek]

@@Bee_Bill287 This video is not for you bro. You are too dumb to get it.

[@solar02130]

It's propaganda. He is wrong.

[@solar02130]

@@Nosdrapek Wow Jan. You are wrong and Pinker is a real weasel.

[@paulmarshall2007]

Wonderful talk from a brilliant man. I’m not a scientist. But this sort of calm, rational, compassionate scientific mindset surely demonstrates some of the finest qualities we possess as human beings. It’s quiet humble brilliant people like this who are responsible for so much of our successes as a species. God bless them! 👍

[@edwardmaccarthy9164]

I always turn to this video when my world view starts to take a dark turn, and it always does its job admirably. Thank you Dr. Pinker, awesome work!

[@ashleetrieu8320]

Same here. We have to have hope ❤

[@johngelb9977]

Rising autocracy does seem to be more of a problem today than in 2017... Pandemic homicide rate spikes (in USA) were a blip that remained well below the 70s, 80s, and 90s... not sure about the Ukraine + Israel/Gaza war deaths in historical context

[@VanJA2102]

Even as someone suffering from depression, I believe that we as humans are making progress all the time. It's annoying to listen to my mom and grandmother constantly say how bad the world is today when it was way worse back in their day.

[@jamesgrandisonmusic]

The Earth itself, taking even politics and this generations (mine, I am 17) traits and characteristics out of the picture, is in a much more diminished state and unhealthier condition than it was 75 or so years ago. Action must be taken, can be taken, yet is not being taken. My generation has been left with a world which is predicted to not adequately support future generations, and we are left to pick up the scraps and the solve this catastrophic problem ourselves.

[@jamesgrandisonmusic]

Anyways very cynical of me haha absolutely no judgement there it was more of an opportunity to let off some steam. Cheers mate.

[@Vlasko60]

@@jamesgrandisonmusic No, you're both right. Humans have been doing better and better overall and the planet has been getting worse overall. I don't blame any particular generation because we are all the same species and will have nearly identical behaviors as a group placed into a different time and circumstance, which means that my generation (boomer) would be acting the same as any other generation that lived in that time. It's like asking "how would a 2023 dog act in 1960?" Answer: "like a dog". I am sincerely sorry about the mess we've left you. I've been quite ignorant most of my life. You seem way ahead to me. You're 17 and listening to Pinker? If there are a lot like you, the problems will get solved. Good luck future leader. Follow the science.

[@wickedfrigginryan4645]

They lived during that time and they live in today's age. i think they might have a better perspective

[@lambusaab]

"Knowledge is better than superstition" Thank you TED

[@lurtzuruk-hai2595]

Abhilash S and critical thinking is better than Richard Dawkins

[@nelsonjimenez7939]

And we live in 1984 run by liberal orwellians

[@lambusaab]

Lurtz uruk-hai I hope you have given some critical thought on your comment.

[@igspal]

Lurtz uruk-hai EXCELLENT reply!!

[@quantize]

where? conservative governments EVERYWHERE. nonsensical.

[@icepear8771]

This was 5 years ago, and yet it is still so helpful. Thank you for this amazing speech.

[@fredlandry6170]

There’s so much sensationalism in the news, if it bleeds it leads.

[@earthbjornnahkaimurrao9542]

9:15 - someone with ability should start a news organization that focuses on tracking the improvements we are making. This would greatly inspire people to contribute to society by becoming engineers, teachers, doctors, etc.

[@eccemarco]

Earthbjorn Nahkaimurrao there is, it's called ourworldindata dot org , great source materials, but not a news site

[@Correctrix]

The information is readily available. It‘s just that no one cares and no one writes it as news.

[@Thorsten00]

Yea - there is: goodnewsnetwork . org

[@ntwstn]

Human Progress . org

[@udishomer5852]

There have been many attempts to create "positive newspapers" and websites. Unfortunately they are not popular, because people prefer to read about murder, disasters and corruption...

[@iambiggus]

"In understanding humanities tribulations and woes, human nature is the problem. But human nature, channeled by enlightenment, norms, and institutions, is also the solution." Steven Pinker

[@stefaniems424]

Another way of looking at it: Despite the world improving (lifespans extended, less hunger, more education, etc...), it isn't a complete or accurate picture to claim that the world is better overall than it was in the past. For example, the invention of social media is generally considered an improvement, bettering humanity...and it has. Yet also as a result of it, we have other problems that have now become prevalent as well (some new, some existing) such as FOMO, heightened insecurities, body image issues. One could argue that social media caused more problems that it even solved perhaps. Like Steven Pinker says himself: when we solve one problem, we end up creating more of them in return. So at any given point in the present we may be doing better or worse than we were before, given the current climate of problems. And also I'd like to point out somewhere on this page it was noted that the world's current problems affect everyone differently and to different degrees. I think this is important to consider, because yesterday's world might have been better for some than today's. Yet this may be the opposite case for the next person. It would be more accurate and complete to determine who is benefitting from the problems that do get solved, who is not, and how do the subsequent problems that get created, affect everyone? This is important to take into account as well when we are going to discuss if the world is getting better or not, because then we realize that the answer will always be subjective. So yes, while the numbers show that the world is moving in a more positive direction, the research doesn't/can't take into consideration other factors that affect today's world problems vs. yesterday's problems, or how many people are currently affected by them. Perhaps a better way to gauge if the world has been improving or not is to be able to take ALL current and past problems into consideration while balancing/averaging them out to determine this answer. Most likely easier said than done. Steven Pinker makes valid points undoubtingly, but I believe his conclusions are a little too simplistic.

[@rodrigoborgneth]

I'm over 40 and live in a crap place called Brazil and even here you can see the progress. I love his book Enlightenment Now.

[@nicolasramos2170]

nosso país na verdade é um lugar maravilhoso com potencial para se tornar uma potência mundial, e temos que ter enxergar isso. Temos incontáveis problemas, mas como foi dito no vídeo, nós sempre teremos problemas, e sempre devemos buscar soluções, e nossas soluções trarão novos problemas, e assim por diante. Não acredite na mídia, outro tópico que surgiu no vídeo que, mais do que nunca, faz todo sentido no momento presente do Brasil, as coisas não estão tão ruins quanto costumamos pensar. E por fim, como você disse, estamos progredindo.

[@funDAYsmiling]

Rodrigo Borgneth I was happy to read that Bolsenaro is actually successfully addressing the murder rates there in Brazil. I see no reason why Brazil can’t become the leader of South America (it’s certainly the wealthiest in natural resources and minerals).

[@nicolasramos2170]

Monsieur P. The media doesn't show the good things he's doing for Brazil, around the world people have this image of a Brazilian Donald Trump, but that's not true at all, he might be a little rough around the edges but he's doing só much good in Here, excuse my english I may have written something wrong.

[@karlosdaniel6537]

É verdade, os nosso índices sociais melhoraram tremendamente nas últimas décadas. Até nossa economia se tornou estável com o Plano Real, infelizmente ela ainda não é tão dinâmica e produtiva quando a dos países desenvolvidos, mas é indiscutível que a qualidade de vida do brasileiro médio melhorou e muito nos últimos anos.

[@goku4117]

Great talk. It's so frustrating to see how many people ignore the good of the world in favor of fatalism.

[@justinstark5732]

Goku Also frustrating how many people do it for the sake of pushing a political agenda

[@justinstark5732]

The Fuzz Is it tho? Crime is down across the board across the developed world and violence is at an all time low for all of human history.

[@drakedoragon3026]

Goku check into optimism bias, then rewatch. Lol. Easy to watch things getting better when you’re not being bombed, tortured, abused, should i keep going? We in the USA get the fruits from this exploitation and then pat ourselves on the back. Ah... the hypocrisy. Priceless.

[@goku4117]

Drake Doragon If you think the fruits you get in the USA are so bitter you can either choke on them or don't consume them, your choice. The suffering that remains in the world will never make me NOT appreciate the sacrifices my parent's generation made so I don't have to see occupying soldiers in our country, don't have to fear being put in prison for criticizing government and that I can go to a shop and buy something other than a vinegar without resorting to crime. I say the victories that are already achieved need to be celebrated louder for everyone to see that better life is possible and that it can happen within one generation, instead of this constant black propaganda that everything is getting worse all the time.

[@michaelhays]

Fatalism?

[@priayief]

Wonderful talk! However, despite the convincing numbers that the world is a better place today than it was in the past, many people are incapable of seeing progress and instead dwell on current issues and problems. This is not a bad thing but focusing on the world's miseries (without acknowledging the amazing progress of human society) is a depressing way of living one's life.

[@JudoP_slinging]

The push to radicalism is dangerous though. If things are perceived as being essentially beyond redemption it opens the door to extreme politics which will only damage this progress or reverse it. I think it's extremely important that the wider public appreciate the progress made and have an accurate picture of what we have to lose vs what we have to gain.

[@MattCasters]

Seeing the bad in the world is not depressing all by itself. It's probably true that by emphasizing the bad we focus more efforts on how to fix the bad. If we would just accept how good the world is, that part of the self-improving machine would go away. Like Dr. Pinker said, progress is not some magical mythical thing that comes automatically. It's something we need to work at.

[@Jibe111111111]

Many people can appreciate what today's world has brought t them and still be critical of it and still think that SOME things were better in the past. For example, when my father was my age (in live in France and am 30) he found a long term job just after leaving Uni, just like all his friends did, he worked normal hours, his average salary was enough to make live his whole family and we could buy a house. My mother spend 3 week in the hospital when she had me, it was for free. Well life surely wasn't as stressful as it is now. And yes people were definitely smiling and laughing more than what they do now. Yet I haven't seen any figures showing that. I don't thing that reading the world thought stats is a good way of understanding what's happening is it, I actually think stats are a getaway to ignorance.

[@MattCasters]

Contrastarian Contrastarian Socialism worked really well in France until the money of other people ran out and companies left in droves.

[@Jibe111111111]

Matt Casters are you stupid or just trolling?

[@muhammad1732]

This is actually an inspiring information. I came here to find facts for which is more dangerous, the 20th or the 21st century for my essay, but now, I found a better lesson for me to learn. Humanity is not perfect and will never be one, but we can progress to be close to perfect.

[@ColorfullHD]

I'd have to say that well-being exceeds far beyond numbers, but no, the world isn't getting worse. As a humanity we are most definitely moving forward. It's the seemingly endless list of problems and worries that makes us feel we are in a downward spiral, but meanwhile, you'd be amazed by what has improved over the last decades, if not century, in contrast with the tasks we face now.

[@mooxim]

:D I could see his eyes welling up as he finished. I'm glad he kept his cool while speaking instead of getting too preachy and passionate but these are thoughts worth getting emotional about.

[@jmarty1000]

I only noticed my own eyes welling up. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@giovanamossi7]

great video and it really helps to see another point of view that we dont normally get from the media but i really wanted the graphics, numbers and data comparing today and then, regarding mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and suicide rates because it seems like they have increased...

[@clintclore5717]

He is one of my favorite thinkers and writer.

[@reshmageffken8874]

This maybe one of the best talks I have ever watched. Progress not as a definition of some inclination of something, but a metrics based approach to doing so. Kudos.

[@Estabanwatersaz]

Cheered me up. Thank you sir!

[@MazBringsby]

He's lying.

[@rr7firefly]

Don't get too cheery. The colossal waste stream generated by human beings is wrecking the habitats of thousands of species about to become extinct. Plastics, plastics, plastics. I just read that the petrochemical industry is intent on producing even more single-use plastic containers to get their profits higher. This TEDTalk presenter is a Pollyanna at best and actually irresponsible. People need to take action, not start being complacent. And BTW, the human population (now 7.7 billion) just keeps growing.

[@niklasmolen4753]

@@rr7firefly You missed the point. The world is getting better for the majority of people. He said nothing about animals and plants. Everyone can be happy that they are living now and not before. A poor man today, has a better standard of living than a medieval king

[@rr7firefly]

@@niklasmolen4753 I can't imagine how any conscious human being would conveniently ignore the cost of all these "improvements." We have to act with conscience, involved in some type of amelioration or reversal of the destructive process we created. How can anyone live their lives with blinders to block out the world falling apart around them? That is an extremely self-serving position. Human beings should not be allowed to do what they want with the planet. All that Exodus stuff about subduing the earth is hogwash.

[@niklasmolen4753]

@@rr7firefly Mankind must live a long-term sustainable life. But this should give people guidance on which problems are real and important against which are inventive or irrelevant.

[@jasondashney]

5:10 this chart is incredible. When I was growing up it was all about Ethiopian famine etc and to see the remarkable progress (South Korea being even more incredible) is so uplifting.

[@user-zp6qy2zi7s]

I'm so thankful for TED, Steven Pinker, and all of the efforts that human beings have made, This video changed my view of the world. I believe "We are not perfect but we are better and we are making a progress"

[@solar02130]

Well then you're a sucker for propaganda.

[@anjusanal]

@@solar02130 WHAT IS your PROBLEM!!! How can this be "propaganda "? It has the opposite effect!

[@10-AMPM-01]

@@anjusanal It gives people an opportunity to excuse themselves from efforts to improve the world. Dummies think everything is fine, so whatever second thoughts they had about x or y, are alleviated. It promotes denial of actual problems like corporate theft, 17 year long wars, instigated coups, etc...

[@anjusanal]

@@10-AMPM-01 , that's true, but it also makes us continue our efforts knowing that we can actually make the world better with enough effort and that it's not pointless to do so.

[@10-AMPM-01]

@@anjusanal Yes, we should continue our efforts.

[@elkoku2002]

I think in a perfect world without problems we create problems. We can't stand a world without problems, we thrive for them and feel uncomfortable when all is fine, and no drama to live around.

[@ericdew2021]

There is no such thing as "without problems". Every solution begets new problems. Every problem begets new solutions. It's the only perpetual motion machine that generates progress and wealth. If you provide a solution to a problem, then you automatically create several new problems: can you provide that solution cheaper, faster, more environmentally friendly? Can you provide an even better solution? Can you adapt that solution to a different, by somewhat similar problem? What do you do with the problem of obsoleted prior partial-solutions to that problem? New problems beget new solutions. New solutions beget new problems. And that unending cycle is called progress.

[@elkoku2002]

@@ericdew2021 you're right that's progress, but we really need progress to live? In that way you go through problems even if you don't need to. One can go around most problems. In one way you adapt the environment in the other you adapt to it. You always need more? When is enough? Buddhism says that happiness is getting rid of attachment, how many people are willing to such achievement? and that is what always leads us to look for problems.

[@ericdew2021]

@@elkoku2002 Nature continuously progresses. Adaptation IS progress. Progress is change. Adaptation and evolution is change. Cheetahs become faster every generation (because the slower ones don't survive long enough to mate). Cheetahs' prey the impala or the springbok or whatever, become faster every generation (because the slower ones are killed by cheetahs and others). Now, those are progress through natural selection. But there are other natural adaptations and through problem solving and repurposing existing assets to new uses. Birds' feathers were not originally intended for flight. But they eventually evolved for flight when those feathers allowed them to glide farther. In other words, progress through problem solving is nature. We should follow what nature does best. Those who can't progress any further (which, ironically, are the cheetahs) are at an evolutionary dead end. They will become obsolete and go extinct.

[@elkoku2002]

Evolution is not yet fully understood, for now we can only say that organisms change over time and that some survive. The mechanisms involved are still a mystery. my point is not whether it is good or not to seek to progress or solve problems, my point is that even if we do not need it we do it. Would you like to have a life without problems to solve or without enigmas to discover? It is a psychological question rather than a practical one.

[@TheAmargi]

Thank you for this. I needed it.

[@zombieslayerII]

What a great video. I wish we got more of this... Thank you

[@edpaha]

Hans Rosling has many interesting presentations along these lines. As Spock would say " Live long and prosper"

[@freshairkaboom8171]

🖖Prosperity and long life

[@soma7891]

Vladimir Putin: I'm gonna end this man whole career.

[@DrEhrfurchtgebietend]

Pinker, Haidt and Sowell are the most important academics of our age

[@jasondashney]

I'd add Jordan Peterson to that list.

[@DrEhrfurchtgebietend]

Jason Dashney yea maybe. He is only a few years in. He is a up and comer for sure

[@snberghuis]

Mr. Pinker, thank you for sharing these revelations. It was nice to hear that we are getting better despite the horrible news we see everyday. Good Energy to you to carry on with this.

[@marcuscolangelo7026]

Not sure how people hate this guy so much. Pinker is absolutely brilliant

[@williamkreth]

one of the best Ted talks!

[@DagolarFly]

This is an interesting discussion, as I find assessing it can easily swing both ways. There's no doubt that, statistically speaking, Pinker is showing what appears to be progress in our modern time. Yet, on the other hand, the tools for measuring certain pieces of this progress can probably be called into question. For example, the notion that there are more democracies in the world and more people living within those democracies doesn't get anywhere near to the heart of the corporate takeover of said democracies. Anyone who lives in, say, North America, probably understands this very well today. As a voting Canadian citizen in a first-past-the-post system, I don't really feel like there's any real democratic situation here. I know I'm not alone in that. That said, Pinker's stats when it comes to poverty, homicide rates, and war, for example, are hard to dispute. In some ways, the world today is more peaceful than it has ever been in the history of humanity.

[@ryandury]

British Columbia just collectively voted to maintain first-past-the-post. The fact that we're able to vote for these things is what makes this the most democratic a nation has ever been.

[@klaasfeys847]

I think he meant, corporate yet better than concentration camp like dictatorships... And those have gone down, yet indeed we need to remain vigilant in order to preserve democracy.

[@ericdew2021]

I think anyone would much prefer even a corporate-style "democracy" than authoritarianism like the kings and emperors of old. If you look back at them, you wouldn't want to live like that. That said, I certainly don't want to be electorally complacent. I've been far more participatory in local civics and do want to hold a check on mega corporations' influence in governance. We fought for this representative government, and we will need to continually fight to keep it.

[@icemachine79]

All of that is nothing compared to what was going on during the Gilded Age. We have tools in place to keep those corporations in check. They don't always work, but it's far better than anything we've ever had in the entire history of this planet. We also need strong economies to fund social programs. It's no good promising free healthcare and housing to folks if you can't actually afford to do it. See North Korea for an example.

[@HappinessDIY]

Temporary bumps. This won’t be the case in the near future.

[@ako969]

Wow, amazing talk. A true light amongst the naysayers and negativity. Thank you for teaching us to be more optimistic.

[@clieding]

That was great! The presenter’s words provide fuel for the spiritual and intellectual motor of progress- inspirational.

[@julianerasmus7540]

Grwat Ted talk! I think it really highlights something so important. The one measure really missing for me is the environment. The human experience is improving, but how is the rest of life on this planet doing?

[@naiIzz]

Julian Erasmus the realities of climate change and increasing emissions was just as true 30 years ago we just hadn’t realized the extent of the damaging we were doing until more recently. I guess you could say the ignorance was bliss

[@joymarcus7151]

Scala Sans! Excellent choice of typeface, Dr. Pinker.

[@VoLCoMzYaDiGG]

Humans need to take a step back and understand that not everything is fine, but many things are. And the fact we can make progress makes things that aren't fine less scary and bad. Stop saying things are bad and change them. Just acknowledging issues is not making things progress. Action needs to be taken as well. And we can't act based off emotion. We need to act based on fact, reason and logic as well. As all true liberals/progressives should.

[@yoyokingarthur7515]

Exactly

[@relystar1346]

John Doe exacly dude well said

[@clutch1141]

John Doe If things aren't bad, then politicians and media don't have a lever. When the weather is sunny and warm we must fear the uv light.

[@relystar1346]

John Lacy just say n3g4

[@geico105]

“As all true liberals/progressives should” You lost me there.

[@alexbischoff5174]

So amazing to hear such inspiring words 🙂

[@richardjohnson4696]

Absolutely it is getting worse. I have asked people from other countries the same question about how their country was when they were a child versus now. They all say that their country is far worse and getting worse at a rapid pace as each passing decade passes. For those of you who think it isn't bad.. You are the part of the reason it sucks.

[@2OrdinaryGuys]

Thank you for this video - from a student paramedic

[@MLDeS100]

2OrdinaryGuys same!

[@noone8418]

Get a real job! 😉

[@ValorousFogey]

So what do YOU do to help people, No One? : )

[@sownheard]

No One become a wizard :3

[@noone8418]

Paramedic x 23 Year’s. Hence the 😉 when I said get a real job.

[@nategrenko4395]

This talk changed my life for the better. God bless Dr. Pinker. We're lucky to have him. Veritas!

[@SteepVisions]

So what about wealth gap, cbdc(government overreach), and affordability of having kids?

[@taniumpc]

great speech. changed my mind.

[@PsoriasisChannel]

Great talk, hope to get an answer I need while making him laugh. He is a great person.

[@lukefairbanks8622]

I appreciate taking this broader view of humanity because it shows how far we've come in a short time. The news is inspiring, it brings me hope for the future

[@doomtomb3]

Just because people are living longer, less war doesn’t mean lives are ‘better’

[@timopuhakka2308]

Mr. Pinker fails to notice that the curve for atmospheric CO2 is a match for all the other graphs he shows. I think all the improvements in human life are caused by the same thing that drives atmospheric CO2, cheap energy.

[@Showmetheevidence-]

Great talk Mr. Pinker

[@mortophobegaming6454]

one of the best ted talks ive seen in a long time

[@crragg1022]

The best one is The school shooter

[@SupremeVerdict]

As an ex Jehovah's Witness, I can say that this is Kryptonite to JWs that want you to think everything is getting more and more awful lol.

[@ZurSacheBitte]

interesting! thank you.

[@williammartinez3883]

I'm a jw (30 yrs now)my life is wonderful. Every area of my life is spot on. I love Jahs discipline . When jah cleans the earth (via his kingdom) he will not ask you why dint you listen to the watch tower society . He will ask you why dint you obey my son. Peace to all in jesus.

[@SupremeVerdict]

@@williammartinez3883 when you say "clean the earth", explain a little about the what, why, and how 🤔 If god is real, he will have to beg for my forgiveness. Why does he expect me to believe the nonsense of the Bible? Why not just tell me himself? Even then, this whole "plan" of his is convoluted and backward.

[@alrenobenjamin6566]

Not just JWs as I myself am one and plan on escaping the evangelical cult soon But also Many Christian Churches who like to spread end of the world propaganda They need to look at the facts and realize that life now is better than in the year of 1583,1887,1940 etc. Times have changed and for the most part we have improved and will continue to do so but rather slowly for the next 10,000 years to beyond

[@SupremeVerdict]

@@alrenobenjamin6566 dude. I wasn't making an objective claim. I was talking about my personal experience. Of course it can help with other cults lol

[@funDAYsmiling]

The news was much more optimistic when there was war all over the world in the 1990’s.

[@amanpadamsey1705]

Ironic but very true.

[@andrejromic99]

I love this guy! His vocabulary is amazing.

[@PoshakPathak]

That's a certain quality a professor at Harvard would have

[@jmarty1000]

His books are the best writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

[@MarsLonsen]

@@PoshakPathak yes, but almost every professor has a good vocabulary. it would be silly if a professor has a bad vocab - few would learn anything and most would learn nothing.

[@briandecasa5444]

He is first and foremost a linguist

[@MostlyLoveOfMusic]

Even so, let's do better. Thanks Steven

[@paulmuaddib451]

A great and wonderful lecture... ...that means nothing to people who cannot watch it because they're dead because of all these things that are "better" today than they were years ago. I'm glad things are better but they could be even better and let's continue this progress even further.

[@kythrathesuntamer9715]

As a progressive intellectual I have only the following to offer though In response, I've been enormously critical of the blank slate and glad Pinker's view changed, I believe those of us skeptical of the power of human nature were vindicated by the scientific discovery of Epigenetics which was a rather fatal blow to the nature side of the debate in that today Biologist understand that Nature versus nurture is a False Dichotomy in that Nurture EFFECTS nature and so they are both distinct and yet one in the same in some regards. I believe human nature is far more capable of being changed than Pinker did in the blank slate and that we have the power to change within us. One of the most remarkable aspects of the human species in that unlike other animals we are uniquely capable of acting against our own inborn and instincts when it serves us to do so, which is part of why Violence is on the decline. Because I cannot be alone in being one that's been tempted to do violent things and yet for the purpose of integrating better with modern society chosen not to.

[@martinmpaz]

You just answered most of my darkest questions about ourselves. Wow. Thank you!

[@Vermilicious]

There is progress. It's just not fast enough, and in some areas worse than others. Focusing on the negatives, is probably not a bad thing, but sometimes maybe we overdo it.

[@anni730]

Would love an update for 2022. So eloquently shared. Excellent.

[@davidmensh1033]

What a relief - and I thought the whole world was falling apart lol. If i just repeatedly listen to this, and avoid engaging with the outside world, it's all gonna be fine 👍

[@hearDJK]

This man is a breath of fresh. I'd love to watch a conversation between him and Dr. Peterson.

[@AlessandroMarcolin]

One big thing that has been getting worst though - whichever metric you want to use - is the destruction of the planet, depletion of resources, climate change, increasing population (all linked to each other of course). This ain't a small detail.

[@FootysMaXeD]

Population growth by itself isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[@Phillip-sv7rr]

@@FootysMaXeD its not even an argument. When you get a certain country above a specific gdp its birthrates will go down. The newest data indicates that the population will top out at about 10billion if we continue the rapid progress in asia and around the world. And even if 10billion are to many for you? whats the solution to that?

[@Phillip-sv7rr]

@Oliver Barker its actually what i just said

[@sandarshmehndiratta]

Philosophies may not always be exact. Neither is happiness, absolute. It can only grow from a power that is within. Nothing drives individual and therefore collective happiness more than the power of passion. And sometimes all it takes is a little optimism to trigger its source. I appreciate Pinker sharing that optimism.

[@elenalaspino9358]

Thank you I needed to hear good news.

[@harvbegal6868]

I'd rather live in 2021 than 1921. And I'd much rather live in 1921 than 1821. 100 years from now gonna be amazing.

[@jamiedorsey4167]

To me that says it all. And its not like living in any of these times doesn't come with lots of suffering and problems, its that the baseline average has improved.

[@channalmath8628]

5:40: "... peace used to be interludes between wars. Today, they are never at war..." meanwhile, America is still in the longest war of its history, nearly twice as long. Sure, it doesn't have many casualties, but what about Afghanistan?

[@30over3]

Yeah, he's basically speaking shallowly, what "they" want us to hear. Everything is safer now right? Except for the fact of a push, or really threat, of a one world power. It's designed that way. There's nothing new under the sun.

[@jacktd86]

Watch that section again. He said that in the past the great powers were always at war, e.g England versus France, and so on. That has not been the case for decades now. He did not say there were no wars.

[@JS-DeepStar]

Thanks you Mr. Pinker you have enlightened me. Keep up the good work.

[@icecreamjunkie6790]

I had to watch this for class but I found it very interesting! Especially the point about climate change and nuclear war. Don't panic and call it a crisis, work together to solve it!

[@casteretpollux]

That's interesting. We are made to watch it in Ireland too. Where are you?

[@bistrajendra1]

Thank you - for attempting to correct our flawed perspective of life

[@gpligor]

The metrics are good but who told you that one would give the same value that you are giving to those metrics? One might measure society success in other metrics such as "how frequently one would visit a family member in person?" etc.

[@glaoak1787]

Before watching: define better, worse and for whom. Now, back to the video.

[@wobblydangly]

Who's watching this in 2022 and thinking hmm 2016 - the good old days

[@mism847]

Not me

[@anarcho.pacifist]

We multiplied our fortunes, but we reduced our values. We talk too much, we love too rarely and we hate too often. We learned how to make a living, but not how to live a life, We added years to life, not life to years. We've gotten up to the moon and back, but we're in trouble when we have to cross the street to get in touch with a neighbor. We have conquered the cosmic space, but not the inner space. We did bigger things, but not better. We cleaned the air, but we polluted the soil. We conquered the atom, but not our prejudices. We write more, but we learn less. We plan more, but we do fewer. We learned to hurry, but not how to be patient. We have larger buildings, but smaller souls; Wider highways, but narrower minds. We buy more, but we enjoy less. We have more accessories, but less time; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts and yet more problems, more medicine, but less health. These are the times of fast-food and slow digestion, Great people, but petty characters; Rapid profits and superficial relationships. These are the times when we have two incomes, but more divorces, More beautiful houses, but broken homes. These are the times when we have one-night stands, overweight bodies and pills that can induce any feeling, from joy... to peace... to death... -- Paler, Octavian

[@johnnyjones5385]

So true, I have saved this to my favourites. Thank you

[@pascalsanyi9737]

you've added so much light to this video. Thanks for presenting your ideas with so much detail & thought.

[@TheValinov]

we absolutly did not cleared the air! and we also poluted the oceans. destroy earth for that fine progress.

[@johnnyjones5385]

It all depends of the authors defintion. IMO i believe the author was refering the days of wood and coal fired heating which where all the rage in the 1800's. There was lots of visable soot floating the air. China is currently having this problem with people using coal for heating. This no longer apply today. Most pollution nowdays is invisible. Or maybe he was referring to nuclear energy. Cleaner air but deadly waste.

[@TheValinov]

so let's compare a dusty air polution only near big cities and industrie centers of a world with like 1 billion people, where rain was washing the air mostly clean again, while we now polute the air even in measurable size all over the globe, which won't disappear for centuries(same with the plastic oceans) and all our fine politics do is bequeath this to the next generations (some even deny the facts). their are certain limits to physics to what we can do then - the earlier we react the better for our children and theirs. there was this problem with CKWs in the 70s ... the politics react quite fast and in about 10 years the new regulations kick in and nowadays the ozon is coming back again. same goes for the CO2 today but i don't see any country doing enough for it.

[@misterabbadon977]

To all the brave officers of the Positivity Police who keep using this as a get out of argument free card. How's the lack of wars, higher health, and abundance doing in 2022? I stopped watching the news like you said so I assume it's great. Is that not the case? Is the Endless population growth that typified the past jamming a wrench in the gears? Are the supply lines breaking and do the harvests fail? Why aren't you saying anything?

[@Sweeneytv]

we are at a point where our battles and wars are fought in our minds and not with guns.

[@mtkoshy6284]

Religion thrives on the premise that the past was glorious, the present is bleak and the future is horrendous! This TED talk is a big blow to the foundation of all religions. Thank you Dr Pinker!

[@ladannaraqi4092]

The Baha'i Faith is a religion that does not believe that at all :)

[@mchanna06]

I'm not sure you quite understand religion.

[@mtkoshy6284]

@@mchanna06 I understand religiousness, not religion. I’m not sure you quite understand religiousness.

[@user-gq1kj8kf2k]

The world is better than before, and it should be better in the future than now. Simple but lovely.

[@voiceofreason2691]

YES! Change is most of the time an *improvement* !

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

Indeed our world is better than 50 or 100 years ago!

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

THE MOST HIGH LORD And what kind of storm it's going to be?

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

THE MOST HIGH LORD I don't say that the world is ideal, I said it's better than before, better than ever. Issues that you mentioned - they do exist but for most of the people they don't spoil their living and they can be solved in the future.

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

THE MOST HIGH LORD Yes, Russia, Moscow ))) Where are you from? The pace of changing is accelerating but who says it's going to be changes to a worse? We can turn our planet into green flourishing garden with robots doing all mundane jobs and protecting our life and individuality. Petroleum is scarce but nuclear energy is abundant.

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

NIR VANA Thanks, man. India and Russia should cooperate for the greater good. There are a lot of issues in the world but many of them can be resolved even today. Visit Moscow - I can show you some things around!

[@dmitriigrigorita2361]

@Aiden Pearce I don't think it's in our possession to halt or even slow down technological progress...

[@audreymuzingo933]

I have ALWAYS said the world is always getting better, and it's not just a hokey personal policy of optimism but a simple comparison of actual changes. Income inequality in the US is definitely a reversal of progress though.

[@audreymuzingo933]

@Jacob Monnin Eh?

[@alanroberts5056]

Solving problems is something that makes me happy. But all the simple problems have been solved , leaving only the difficult ones that are beyond my reach.

[@gokcenkadirbuyukvardar7806]

He’s focusing in people only. But what about extinction of animals, habitats, climate change, plastics pollution etc... aren’t these problem for us? Should we forgot them and enjoy life by saying that our life is longer than before.

[@dr.zoidberg8666]

'Scuse me, but aren't renewables doubling in market share every 1.5-2 years? Isn't solar & wind generally cheaper than coal, with prices rapidly falling such that they will become cheaper than natural gas in just a few years? Isn't the cost of large-scale battery technology falling while battery & capacitor efficiency is improving? Isn't the market share of electric vehicles growing at a more rapid pace than any expert predicted? And that's to say nothing of the conservation efforts going on & the number of animal species that have been saved from the endangered species list & extinction... it's to say nothing of the efforts going on to preserve coral habitats all around the world, for instance. By my figuring, the world will mostly be running on renewable energy by the early 2030's (2031-2032, I think) -- not because of tree hugging or love for polar bears, but because it's just the more economical & profitable choice to make. Don't worry -- our success entails the success of the world at large.

[@stauffap]

There are encouraging signs, but we need to get rid of fossil fuels until about 2050. I'm not sure if you understand what that means. Just think about the transport sector. All ships will have to be changed or carbon neutral fuel is needed to power them. Trucks will have to be replaced. All cars will have to be replaced. Countless homes rely on an oil heating systems in the winter. And of course airplanes will have to be replaced or powered with a carbon neutral fuel. They will all have to be replaced with an alternative. Then of course we need to replace coal power plants and ultimately gas power plants as well. There are encouraging signs on the horizon, but what is needed is an unprecedented tranformation of our whole economy in about 32 years. This is only one of the problems though. We also have the issues of massive overuse of resources (see ecological footprint). We have growing income and wealth inequality. We have the issue of planetary boundaries. There's the issue of enviromental polution, overfishing and a mass extinction of species. And of course during all of this time the world population will likely keep growing and effects of gloabal warming will start to show up more and more. It's too early to be cheery. We have a lot of work in front of us. And it's definately not the time to lean back as if the problem has already been solved.

[@dr.zoidberg8666]

We're actually near to the threshold of building a brand new solar power plant literally being cheaper than keeping an existing coal plant running. Your timeline is far too conservative -- I really don't think you understand the state of things, stau ffap. You're thinking linearly. We live in an exponential world. 1% is less than 7 doublings away from 100%. That's how you need to think about these problems, because that's how they're solved. Once you hit 1% or 2%, you've hit the knee of the curve. You're nearly finished.

[@stauffap]

Yeah, i teach math, but i really don't understand the concept of exponentional growth. You're too full of yourself, buddy.

[@dr.zoidberg8666]

I could say the same of you, going around assuming that you know better & have studied more closely than everyone one the internet who doesn't see things your way.

[@dotsgrey]

"In these *insert negative word* times...."

[@sowo1987]

Thankyou! I needed this.

[@theloniousMac]

God. 2018. Man those were great days.

[@Saionware]

Is it just me or he sounds a little like Michio Kaku? Nice speech btw

[@georgiostsirtsidis1125]

One thing Dr. Pinker didn't mention is that 30 years ago 1 person (mostly man) could feed a family with 1 job, and now 2 people have to work 1 or even 2 jobs. It kinda sucks doesn't it? I don't know if I'm being naive here. Of course women are more than welcome to work, my problem is that they HAVE to work.

[@suckieduckie]

Dunno what countries you're talking about. but here in the Netherlands if you live on double income you got plenty of money leftover to go on holidays twice or three times a year and save plenty of money allthewhile buying furniture for your house.

[@rtybn456]

Wietse op de Weegh. But the world is not the Netherlands. Nordic countries are known to be the most well of. They’re the exception. In other countries, both parents have to work to meet the ends, which wasn’t the case for the previous or the two previous generations.

[@suckieduckie]

@@rtybn456 Did you just call the Netherlands a Northern country? Nordic countries are Denmark Zweden Finland Norway Iceland. Netherlands is just good old western europe. While I realise I'm very lucky to live here, I reject the idea that you can't supply for your family with one job. Garbage collectors make more than 2k a month which should be enough to make a living. Imagine a higher end job.

[@grihanm]

In the US midwest (Utah, Wyoming, etc.), it's still the case. Move away from the big cities and you can happily live for 1 salary.

[@frydac]

Yes, only one parent worked, but they didn't have as much as ppl now: fully decked out kitchen, tv, pc, internet, 2 cars, all children going to higher education, on average ppl were more poor. Howerver, this and your explanation is not based on measurements and are opinions/hypothesis, without actual numbers.. we just don't know

[@joeredfield979]

the issue isnt whether things are getting better or worse, its how we examine problem solving. You can't do that by seeing happiness all the time. You can't do that seeing tragedy all the time. You have to examine each little situation that presents itself and continue doing that constantly. Do what makes you feel safe. That is what everyone else does.

[@RushSimonson]

Great job! The future is bright, but as you point out organized media profits from fear and anxiety. This is the reason I now spend 90% of my viewing time on KZbin. You can find so many uplifting, educational success stories there. Thanks again.