“Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.”Excerpt from :The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The more gruesome the news, the more we lap it up.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Humans are naturally drawn to negative and alarming events, a behavior rooted in evolutionary instincts. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">"rubbernecking," is a tendency where people crane their necks to observe accidents, reflects an evolutionary predisposition to pay attention to potential threats. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Evolution programmed us to prioritize bad news, termed <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15043650/">"dread risk,"</a> as it historically had more significant fitness consequences. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">One momentary lapse of attention in the ancestral environment could lead to dire outcomes like falling off a cliff or being attacked by predators. </li></ul>

3. The Law of Rubbernecking:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"> Can we argue 2023 was one of our best years yet? Looking back, it seems so. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Since the turn of the century, each year (excluding the pandemic) has brought affluence, safety, and good health to more and more people.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Despite the ongoing tragedies in various countries like Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen, statistics show that life is actually better than it has ever been. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">However, this positive reality seems to be overshadowed by the constant influx of negative news in the media.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Hopefully, this list will work as an antidote whenever excessive news consumption makes you feel despondent. </li></ul>

The Best Year in Human History?

The freer a society, the more ugly things will surface.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In liberal democracies, the more complaints about human rights violations, the better protected those rights are likely to be, according to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moynihans-Moment-Americas-Against-Zionism/dp/0199920303?ref=quillette.com">"Moynihan's Law."</a> </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This is because in free societies, people can freely voice their grievances. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Activists sometimes inadvertently <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/ksikkink/publications/information-paradox-how-effective-issue-creation-and-information-politics-can?ref=quillette.com">give the impression</a> that things are getting worse when they're actually just becoming more visible. </li></ul>

7. The Law of Disinfecting Sunlight:

“No charity ever raised money for its cause by saying things are getting better.”  (The Rational Optimist)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Ayaan Hirsi Ali notes that those who've always had freedom may take it for granted. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Criticism in tolerant societies isn't met with retaliation, unlike in dictatorships where dissent is squashed. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Therefore, if everyone praises the government and claims progress, it's likely a sign of oppression, not true freedom.</li></ul>

“You grew up in freedom, and you can spit on freedom because you don’t know what it is not to have freedom.”

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Yet, their ugliness led to blame for pandemic woes. This pattern, dubbed the <a href="https://etiennefd.substack.com/p/when-the-ugliness-of-the-problem?ref=quillette.com">"ugly problem fallacy,"</a> hides the benefits of solutions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It applies to various issues like prisons, vaccines, and consumerism. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">By remembering the gravity of initial problems, we can better appreciate imperfect solutions' progress.</li></ul>

“I have observed that not the man who hopes, when others despair, but the man who despairs when others hope, is admired by a large class of persons as a sage.”

“Progress transforms problems into invisible infrastructure.”

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">﻿<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36928780/">This inclination</a> persists today, evident in the higher engagement with negative headlines in news stories. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Even during peaceful times, people are captivated by <a href="https://www.utilitarian.org/texts/perfectibility.html?ref=quillette.com">prophets of doom</a>, as anticipating the worst has historically been admired. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This primal response reminds individuals to stay vigilant in the face of potential dangers, emphasizing the evolutionary importance of being alert to negative information.</li></ul>

Progress happens gradually and imperceptibly, while regress happens all at once and immediately grabs our attention. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Breaking news often involves things breaking down (an earthquake, suicide bomber attack, stock market crash, tsunami, political coup, or oil spill), as the second law of thermodynamics dictates that: </li><li class="ql-align-justify">the universe tends towards disorder. It is much easier to destroy than to build.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Human progress is dependent on incremental improvements afforded by infrastructure that quietly hums away in the background, invisible until something goes wrong.</li></ul>

1. The Law of the Invisibility of Good News:

Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, except bad news.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">In today's world of instant communication, bad news spreads faster than ever. </li></ul> <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Our brains, wired to focus on the sensational, overestimate the likelihood of such events. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Terrorists exploit this by targeting famous locations for maximum media coverage, instilling fear in millions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">While some suggest censoring news of attacks, public <a href="https://koenfucius.wordpress.com/2023/12/22/its-the-demand-stupid/">demand</a> drives coverage. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Ultimately, our fascination with horrific news reflects human nature's curiosity, rather than perverse tendencies.</li></ul>

2. The Law of The Velocity of Bad News:

No matter how much progress the world is achieving, the total amount of outrage remains constant.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">As societies become safer and more prosperous, people tend to raise their standards for what is considered safe or prosperous. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This leads to a paradox where despite fewer disasters and progress, individuals may feel the world is worsening. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This phenomenon is compared to the <a href="https://finmoorhouse.com/writing/news/?ref=quillette.com">Shepard tone auditory illusion</a>, and it's linked to our brains' tendency to expand concepts when instances decrease. </li></ul>

4. The Law of Conservation of Outrage:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify"><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29954981/">The conservation principle</a> applies to various domains, influencing perception and even causing people to find new reasons to be outraged. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">The challenge lies in recognizing this pattern and appreciating the progress made, as highlighted in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Now/dp/0525559027?crid=1176P8VO6DOXX&keywords=enlightenment+now&qid=1706240460&sprefix=enlightenment+no,aps,268&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=quillette-20&linkId=2055c67ea6bbdd020116cdc3d439a1cf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">Steven Pinker's work</a> on the decrease in violence over the centuries.</li></ul>

If you don’t find bad news, bad news will find you.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">New age beliefs like the Law of Attraction suggest positive thoughts attract good outcomes, while negative thoughts invite trouble. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Though this theory doesn't always hold in real life, social media operates differently. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Mathematician <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencrGreenberg/status/1721911661689200762?ref=quillette.com">Spencer Greenberg</a> notes that social media algorithms are designed to cater to our interests. If we engage with cute puppies or shocking news, the algorithm provides more of the same. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">This creates a cycle where our biases and impulses are reinforced, even if we're unaware. </li></ul>

5. The Law of Awful Attraction: 

Once a solution has been achieved, people forget about the original problem (and only see further problems).<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Progress often masks its own challenges, leading us to overlook the severity of original problems. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Every solution creates new issues, but if they're less severe, it's deemed progress. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Chemotherapy, though harsh, is far better than untreated cancer. Similarly, calls to "defund the police" overlook their role in reducing violence. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Lockdowns during Covid caused hardship, but they prevented greater suffering by <a href="https://areomagazine.com/2021/02/26/why-easing-restrictions-will-lead-to-more-not-less-collateral-damage/?ref=quillette.com">curbing the virus's spread</a>. </li></ul>

6. The Law of Self-Effacing Solutions:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Pessimism often gets mistaken for intelligence, but believing in progress takes courage. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">While pessimists sound wise sticking to the known, progress relies on optimism and innovation. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Trusting in humanity's ability to overcome challenges is crucial, even if it means risking looking foolish. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Progress isn't guaranteed; it requires seeing through pessimistic thinking and believing in a better future.</li></ul>

DOUGLAS ADAMS

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