Most people are individually optimistic, but think the world is falling apart

7 days ago

Many people feel personally optimistic but believe society is in decline, creating a perception gap.
Surveys show global pessimism, especially in richer countries, despite improvements in living standards in lower-income nations.
People tend to be more optimistic about their personal lives than about their country or the world.
There is a consistent underestimation of others' happiness and support for issues like climate action.
Media focus on negative news contributes to collective pessimism, as bad events are more newsworthy than slow progress.
Agency and control play a role in optimism; people feel more in control of their personal lives than national or global issues.
Collective pessimism can undermine social cohesion and motivation to address global challenges like climate change.
Historical data shows that awareness of past progress correlates with future optimism about global improvement.

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