Every now and then, someone among us takes a look around and wonders: what happened to optimism? Why has it vanished? Just a few days ago, a renowned New York Times columnist (and 2008 Nobel Prize winner in Economics) - Paul Krugman - was the latest to ask this question. - ThreadSky

riccardoluna.bsky.social • 106 days ago

Every now and then, someone among us takes a look around and wonders: what happened to optimism? Why has it vanished? Just a few days ago, a renowned New York Times columnist (and 2008 Nobel Prize winner in Economics) - Paul Krugman - was the latest to ask this question.

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riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

In his final article, before bidding farewell to readers after twenty years, he expressed his deepest concern about the disappearance of optimism in the world's transformation. He reflected on the stark contrast between our once optimistic outlook and the current climate of anger and resentment.

riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

It's not just a saying, nor is it the usual refrain of those who begin a sentence with 'back in my day, we were happy', because we often confuse youth with happiness. It's history. For at least a decade there was a widespread sense that things were going well and would only get better.

riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

Then, something went wrong. I would say that trust was fundamentally shaken: in the future, but also in our neighbors and in others. Let me illustrate this with an example: these days, we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of a highly acclaimed novel, 'Novecento' by Alessandro Baricco.

riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

In that book, the protagonist utters a phrase that has always been a source of comfort to me, especially in challenging times. It goes like this: 'Life isn't over until you have a story to tell and someone to tell it to.' If Baricco is right, what's missing for us now?

riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

A story, or something to believe in? Or someone to listen to
us? Last night, I received a newsletter on climate change. It argued that now is the time for urgent optimism, a modernized version of rational optimism.

riccardoluna.bsky.social•106 days ago

This vision of the world attempts to align all the reasons, particularly technological and scientific ones, for why things will turn out well and we can make it happen. A captivating tale, if you're willing to believe it.

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