Even in the face of all these challenges—economic, infrastructural, biological, societal, and existential—we’re still optimistic. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., the arc of history is long but it bends towards justice.10 We think the data support this. We’ve seen not just vast increases in wealth but also, on the whole, more freedom, more social justice, less violence, and less harsh conditions for the least fortunate and greater opportunities for more and more people.
