Factfulness, writes Rosling, does not mean duping yourself into thinking everything is fine. It means acknowledging that it is unhealthy to not recognise the progress the world has made; otherwise ‘the consequent loss of hope can be devastating’.30 A necessary component of a contented life is seeking out the good news as much as the bad and reading it offline as well as on screens. We need to rework our definition of self-care: Netflix and Chill and a face mask might make for a relaxing evening, but for long-term mental peace? My bet’s on factfulness.
