[ExI] The limitations of Steven Pinker’s optimism

[Dan TheBookMan]

On Feb 18, 2018, at 2:57 PM, William Flynn Wallace <foozler83 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Sun, Feb 18, 2018 at 4:07 PM, Dan TheBookMan <danust2012 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02148-1
>> 
>> I have only started to read the book, so can’t say how accurate Goldin is here.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Dan
> 
> ​I have read most of it.  The reviewer doesn't criticize much of Pinker's data, but focuses on what he left out or did not emphasize or what he said that contradicts the reviewer's own book.  Not a bad review though. 
> 
> There is a LOT of progress detailed in this book and everyone should know these things, which very rarely appear on the news, because the news is slanted towards negative stories.

Have you read Julian Simon? Years ago, he was pointing out and even betting on things getting better. I think it’s not just the news that slanted, but that there’s a default pessimistic bias — a built in presumption things are getting worse, especially when looking at history or overall trends. The news simply works off that. (Feel good stories have a low demand, whereas feel bad stories seem to have a very high demand.)

Regards,

Dan
   Sample my latest Kindle book "Sand Trap":
http://mybook.to/SandTrap
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