Ways the World is Getting Better

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In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, it often seems like doom and gloom surround us from every direction. With the relentless stream of negative news and alarming headlines increasingly dominating media outlets, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the world is devolving into a state of chaos. Despite the barrage of negativity, it is crucial to remember that there is another side to the story—one that reveals a brighter, more optimistic reality.

It’s true, the world we live in is not perfect, and we still face numerous challenges that demand our attention and commitment. Environmental challenges, social inequalities, political unrest, war, and technological dilemmas are just a few of the pressing issues that loom over us. Acknowledging the room for improvement is essential if we aspire to build a better tomorrow. Yet, it is equally essential to recognize the incredible progress and positive developments that often go unnoticed in the shadows of sensationalized news.

As human beings, we have a natural inclination to gravitate towards negative news; our brains are wired to respond more significantly to fear and danger. This phenomenon, known as the “negativity bias”. While it is important to assess the potential of negative events to impact our wellbeing, it can leave us susceptible to developing a skewed perception of the world which can impact your contentment, happiness, and financial wellbeing.

In this blog post, I am hoping to shift the spotlight away from the overwhelming negativity and highlight the inspiring strides that humanity has made. From advancements in technology that revolutionize healthcare to growing global initiatives combating poverty and hunger, we find reasons to celebrate our collective achievements.

We are living longer

Mortality

Since the start of 1900, life expectancies have doubled globally! Even the poorest nations today have a higher life expectancy than the wealthiest nations at the start of this period. ¹
Global mortality for those under the age of 15 was 27% in 1950. Going back even further, it is estimated that child mortality was over 50%! In 2020, it is down to 4.3% and down to 0.3% for the more developed countries. ²
In 1920, the percentage of the population that was over the age of 65 was about 5%. As of 2020, the percentage of the population that is over the age of 65 is 16.8%. In terms of number of people, that is about 50,000,000 more people over the age of 65 than in 1920. ³

The number of Centurians (those who reach age 100) grew by 20% from 1980 to 2010. Projections for the growth rate of older generations are anticipating these numbers to only increase. ⁴

In the US, Violent Crime has decreased by 50% and Property Crime has decreased by 62% since the1990’s. ⁵

Globally, Homicides have decreased 23% since 1990 resulting in more than 120,000 more people per year walking around that would have been killed in the past. ⁶

Deaths from natural disasters decreased from over 26 per 100,000 people to less than .16 per 100,000 people globally. ⁷

In 1968, the world population was estimated to be around 3.6 billion. Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich wrote in his best-selling 1968 book The Population Bomb, “In the 1970’s, hundreds of millions of people will starve to death” because of overpopulation. (Later editions modified the sentence to read “In the 1980’s.”). Today there is estimated to be over 8 billion people worldwide. ⁸

Access to Food

During the early 1800s, over 70% of the American population was engaged in farming. However, as time progressed, the number of individuals categorized as producers (farmers or those engaged in farming) in the United States has dwindled significantly, and today, it accounts for less than 1% of the total population. ⁹
The rate of malnutrition globally decreased from 65% in 1950 to less than 9% by 2019. ¹⁰
Since 1948, the use of land for farming has decreased by 28% but total agricultural output has increased by 277%! ¹¹
This next one isn’t a good stat but it brings home the point that we have plenty of food. In the US, food waste is estimated to be around 31% as of 2010. It would be great if I could write in 10 years that food waste in 2023 was 31% but now it is 10%. ¹²
A Youtuber calculated the cost to make a chicken sandwich completely from scratch on his own, it took 6 months and $1,500 dollars. You can go to your local Chick-Fil-A (except on Sunday) and buy the same thing for about $6. ¹³

We are "living" more

In 1840, the average worker put in 70 hours a week! That’s 6 almost 12 hour days. The average workweek is now a much more manageable 40 hours a week and some developed economies that’s even lower. That’s more time to spend with family, friends, or being a part of the community. ¹⁴
In 1870, the 75% of those over the age of 65 still worked. Today, only 20% do so. ¹⁵ ¹⁶
The average American retires at age 62. In 1940, the average life expectancy was just age 62. Given the earlier mortality statistics, that equates to many more years of living outside of a traditional job and more of those years being healthy. ¹⁷ ¹⁸

We are living more comfortably

Think about all of the conveniences we have today that even the most powerful people in the world did not have in the past! Instant communication worldwide, Air conditioning, Heating, comfortable travel, and Indoor plumbing to name a few. I, for one, am glad I no longer have to go outside in the dead of winter or deal with a chamber pot when I have to relieve myself.
In 1973, 51% of homes had no air conditioning. In 2022, only 3% of houses had no air conditioning. ¹⁹

In 1973, 40% of homes had 1.5 bathrooms or fewer. In 2022, just 3% had fewer than 1.5 bathrooms. ²⁰
In 1973, the average home square footage was 1,525 shared by 3 people on average. In 2015, the average home square footage was 2,690, shared by 2.5 people. That works out to be almost doubling of the square footage per person in the home. ²¹
In 1878, the first home received electricity. Now, electricity is flowing all around us. If you cannot, or do not want to be, hooked up to the electrical grid, the number of alternative power sources are growing and becoming cheaper.

We have greater access to expanding our horizons

Education

Early in the 19th century, 12% of the world could read and write. Today, 86% of the population is literate! ²²
The high school graduation rate was just 9% in 1910. It jumped to 52% by 1940 and 87% today. ²³²⁴
The number of free, online education resources have increased substantially over the last decade with resources like Khan Academy, Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, Edx, and more! Today, you learn anything from how to play guitar to how to change the filter on your car for free.
More than 96% of people in the USA own a cell phone (smartphones and regular cell phones). Around 48.72% of the global population owns a smartphone device. ²⁵
64% of the world now has access to the internet and that number will likely increase very quickly in the near future. If we can increase that number by 20%, that would be equivalent to the population of India or China receiving internet access and more importantly gaining access to education resources. How many brilliant minds are there untapped in that population that could change the world? ²⁶

Travel

Plane travel has gotten much safer. In the decade of 1968 to 1977, there was 1 fatality in every 350,000 boardings. in the decade of 2008 to 2017, there was one fatality in every 7,900,000 boardings which represents a 2,257% increase in safety! ²⁷
The real price of plane travel in the U.S. has fallen by more than half since the late 1970s. ²⁸
In 1905, a Vermont doctor and his chauffeur were the first to successfully drive a car across country from San Francisco to New York. It took them 63 days. Today you can fly cross country in a matter of hours while using wireless Internet.
In 1903, Horatio Jackson and Sewall Crocker drove from Oakland to New York city in 63 days. ²⁹ Alice Ramsey completed the trip in 59 days in 1909. ³⁰. Today, driving across the US would take about 3-6 days depending rest time for the driver and you could fly across the US in about 6 and a half hours.

Summary

As we move forward, let’s celebrate these accomplishments and be grateful for the improvements that we take for granted today. By fostering a sense of hope and unity, we can continue to drive progress and create a world that is even brighter for future generations. Together, we have the capacity to build a future where the spirit of innovation and compassion reign, and where every individual can thrive in a more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable world. Let these strides serve as a reminder that positive change is possible, and that the pursuit of a better world is an endeavor worth embracing with unwavering determination.

Want Some More? Here are more random ways we are getting better...

In 1940, the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship has a volume of 83,000 gross tons. Some thought there would never be a larger ship made. One of the latest cruise ships to be released today, the Icon of the Seas, is expected to be over 250,000 gross tons. ³¹
We’ve figured out that dogs can help people with diabetes manage their insulin levels. How cool is that? ³²