Why I Still Have Hope: A Humanist’s Reflection
Written by Miriam English and ChatGPT (OpenAI)
People often say the world is getting worse. That we’re spiralling into chaos, losing our morality, dooming the planet, and becoming more divided. I understand why it feels that way — the news feeds us a constant diet of fear, outrage, and despair. But if you step back, if you look at the bigger picture — at the long arc of history and the quiet transformations happening around us — a very different story emerges. A story of progress, compassion, and hope.
I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this, often writing short pieces to share online, to push back against the constant cynicism. And I want to tell you: things are getting better. Not perfect — far from it — but better in so many ways that matter. More moral. More peaceful. More just. We are, little by little, becoming more humane.
Let me start with something most people don’t realise: we are living in the most peaceful time in all human history. Violent crime has been decreasing for hundreds of years. A majority of countries have abolished the death penalty. War has become less frequent, less deadly, and less glorified. Duels are gone. Torture is mostly outlawed. Slavery, which was once accepted as normal, is now universally condemned and outlawed in most of the world.
Rights have expanded too. Women are no longer considered property. Children are no longer sent to factories and mines to work themselves into an early grave. LGBT+ people are gaining legal recognition, respect, and love. Even animals have more rights today than at any point in history.
What makes me hopeful isn’t just the decline in violence — it’s the rise in empathy. People today get outraged over injustices that would have once been ignored or accepted. That outrage, even if it sometimes burns a little too hot, is part of what drives progress. We care more. We feel responsible. And we act on it.
One of the most powerful drivers of this change is education. Literacy is approaching 100%. Access to knowledge has exploded. Thanks to the internet, anyone with a phone — even someone living below the poverty line — can now carry a supercomputer in their pocket with access to most of humanity’s accumulated knowledge. Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg, Khan Academy, LibriVox, Sci-Hub, CrashCourse — these and so many more are putting learning and creativity in everyone’s hands. And when people learn, they grow. When they grow, they make better choices.
Yes, there are still terrible things happening. Yes, there are still corrupt politicians, bigots, and corporate greed. But even those are increasingly exposed and challenged. Social media, citizen movements, and transparency tools have made it harder to hide the worst crimes. Oppressed and disempowered people have the ability to communicate their situation direct to the whole world via their mobile phone and social apps. As messed up as politics feels, I believe we have more honest and accountable leaders today than in most of our history. And when governments fail us, ordinary people step up — shifting to renewable energy, fighting for justice, and building solutions in their own communities.
That brings me to one of our biggest reasons for hope: the green transition. Even if governments drag their feet, renewables are booming. Solar and wind are now cheaper than fossil fuels. In many parts of the world, communities, councils, and businesses are leading the way. The shift is unstoppable. What used to be a niche ideal is now economic common sense.
Another area where quiet revolutions are underway: food. Indoor vertical farms, vat-grown meats, and plant-based diets are becoming more viable and affordable. These changes have the potential to dramatically reduce environmental damage, end factory farming, rewild vast areas of land, and feed people more sustainably. It’s not science fiction anymore — it’s happening now.
Then there’s AI — the newest wave of transformation. I know it scares some people, but I think it could be one of the best things we’ve ever created. AI has the potential to free us from meaningless jobs, offer universal education through personalised tutors, and boost creativity in ways we’re only beginning to see. It could be a key part of a new renaissance, where more people than ever can write, invent, and explore. The productivity gains from AI could even help make universal basic income a reality — a system where everyone has a safety net and the freedom to live, not just survive.
And if you need proof that people are getting better, just look at how social norms have shifted. Not that long ago, public calls for equality would have been mocked or ignored. Today, sexist, racist, and homophobic remarks are more likely to be called out, not laughed off. We still have work to do, but the trend is clear — and it’s encouraging.
Sometimes it helps to remember how bad things used to be. My own mother wasn’t allowed to buy land without a man’s signature. Only a couple of lifetimes ago people used to enjoy public hangings as entertainment. Until recent decades beating children, wives, and animals was seen as a private matter. Diseases that once wiped out millions are now virtually gone, thanks to hygiene, medical science, and vaccines. Incomes, education, and life expectancy have all improved. We have challenges, yes — especially with climate change and biodiversity loss — but we also have tools, knowledge, and the public will to face them. And that’s new.
One of the biggest myths we fight is the idea that the past was some kind of golden age. It wasn’t. It was more violent, more ignorant, more unjust. People today have more options, more power, and more ways to connect and help each other than ever before. That’s progress. That’s hope.
I often think about how even the poorest among us now live better than royalty once did. Instant communication, clean water, warm clothes, access to medicine, travel, and information — all available to increaing numbers of ordinary people. That’s extraordinary. And it’s still just the beginning.
Of course, the future isn’t guaranteed. We could still screw it up. But I believe we won’t. Because most people are fundamentally good. They care about their kids, their neighbours, their communities. They want to help. They want to understand. They want to make things better. That, more than anything, is why I still have hope.
So on this International Day of Hope, let’s resist the cynicism. Let’s challenge the media that feeds us constant fear. Let’s spread good news, celebrate our wins, and support the people and ideas pushing us forward. The world is getting better. Not by magic. Not automatically. But because people — regular people like you and me — are making it so.
And we’re just getting started.
How this was written:
I (Miriam) have often replied to people online who voice doom and gloom and think the world is on the verge of collapse. I point out how far from reality that is and how the mainstream media, politicians, and religion poisons people’s outlook. The world is much better in countless ways. I tend to keep copies of many of my online interactions, so I gathered 37 of them, some short, some long, to build into an article for the Humanist World blog. Unfortunately I was running late, so I got the idea of asking ChatGPT to merge all my pieces together. I use AI a lot, but I was astonished at how good the result was. With minimal editing by me, what you see above is that result.
This item written on request for International Day of Hope. This blog ©2025 Geoff Allshorn. All rights are returned to the author/s. I show my respect for Elders past and present and acknowledge the Wurundjeri Willam people, the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which this blog was prepared.
So very well said, Miriam! Thank you! A wonderfully refreshing and inspirational piece that gives me some real hope (cynic that I’ve become) for what is to come.