America Feels Lost, But History Offers You Real Reasons for Hope

Why looking back helps us move forward

Most people around the world believe their own lives will improve, even as they worry about the state of the world. This curious split between personal optimism and societal pessimism shows up clearly in recent research using the “Cantril Ladder,” which asks people to rate their lives on a scale from 0 (the worst possible life) to 10 (the best). When as…