A dad’s guide to the disruption of college
I first wrote about the cancer growing in America’s universities five years ago. Surprising even myself, the research I did at the time...
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Carrying the torch Matt Ridley lit
In his 2010 masterpiece The Rational Optimist, Matt Ridley demonstrated, with scientific rigor, how freedom leads to innovation and innovation leads to prosperity for all.
Mankind around the world is now wealthier, healthier, less violent, better fed, safer, and more literate than ever. Don’t take our word for it – here’s the data .
But too many have forgotten what got us here. Prosperity is no accident. Its enemies – alarmism, ideology, and bureaucracy - are on the rise. We must defend our values, or risk slipping back into darkness and stagnation.
Our near future will be incandescently bright… as long as we fight for it.
Matt Ridley is a founding member emeritus of the Rational Optimist Society.
Latest Free Research
How in touch are you with reality?
Since 1980 the global population has roughly doubled, to 8 billion, exacerbating worries that humanity is marching down an unsustainable path to starvation and poverty as we surpass earth’s capacity to support us.
According to the United Nations, by what year will the global population double again?
Three reasons to become a Rational Optimist
Reason 1:
Your kids will thank you
Humanity faces real problems. Rational Optimists know we can solve them through innovation.
That puts us in opposition to many politicians, radical environmentalists, and activists who seem to only want to scare us into submission. For us, it comes back to our kids. We can’t let them believe the lie that the world is awful and on the brink of catastrophe. We must show them the truth. Or we have no right to be surprised when they’re depressed, anxious, and gripped by dangerous ideologies that would dismantle what makes us great.
Reason 2:
Gain confidence and relieve anxiety
You’re not imagining it. Our world really is unrecognizable from just 5 years ago. Technological advancement is only getting faster and faster.
The good: just as you’re materially wealthier than John D. Rockefeller, your great grandchildren can be wealthier than Elon Musk.
The bad: rapid change is disorienting. New technologies used improperly can cause anxiety, addiction, or worse. Look at what social media has done to our kids.
We help our members master new technologies, so they can’t master you.
Reason 3:
Optimists make better lovers
No joke. Research shows optimists have happier marriages, make more money, and raise happier kids.
Anyone of any age can become a rational optimist… and it just might transform your life.
Rational Optimist Podcast
Stephen McBride and Dan Steinhart bring you their weekly podcast series where they discuss the latest in rational optimist thinking. Listen and watch and subscribe for regular updates.
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