Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
IWNDWYT. As far as the future as a whole, I found Factfulness to be a very positive read. Give the blurb a look! https://www.amazon.com/Factfulness-Reasons-World-Things-Better/dp/1250123828/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3LH71KN6UGLMV&keywords=factfulness&qid=1644742588&sprefix=factful%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1
I think this book could help. It is entertaining and covers how objectively the world has actually gotten much, much better in a lot of ways.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250123828/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_X5B550AEHKC16GX15AZN
I just finished a book called Factfulness that shows how the world is far better than you think. Reading stuff like this helps me keep a level head and realize that the news and social media just amplifies all the worst stuff in the world to get more of your attention so they are more profitable. Awareness that this is happening is the first step to resisting it.
No need to worry about that. There is statistical proof that the world’s most impoverished are dramatically less likely to be starving today than then they were 70 years ago.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250123828/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BJDQYQF3H856HXPSTRG4
I'm pretty bullish on emerging markets as of late because of this book:
Highly recommend reading it, and its fairly short, but the gist is that much of the world will slowly but surely march toward economic prosperity whether we like it or not, with all the pros and cons of moving billions of people from living on $2/day to $40/day and beyond.
The trend is that the western world will not be the majority rich anymore in the coming decades, it'll be the sort of markets these ETFs tend to invest in today. I guess that's where I see an ETF in asian markets being a fairly good bet at least as I think they can navigate the political issues that arise.
I'm like 5% of my portfolio on it currently and may do more, but I do think the potential is there long term.
Try reading Factfulness. It might give you a different perspective from the news cycle that is demonstrably biased toward delivering doom and fear.
this book!
https://www.amazon.com/Factfulness-Reasons-World-Things-Better/dp/1250123828/
it looks a bit self helpy, but it has good facts and figures showing how the world on a whole has improved over the last 100 year or so. It made me feel much better about stuff, and also feel a bit more proactive about helping where I can help, rather than wallow in self defined hopelessness.
Read books like Factfulness and Enlightenment Now that lay out the case for why things are better now for humanity than they have ever been. They will help you reframe your perspective on the world, and you'll realize that, as you put it, politics and social well-being in the US is not that bad in the historical sense.
Secondly, look at things from your perspective first. Do you have enough to eat? Are you healthy? Do you have a safe place to sleep every night?
Also: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1250123828?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1948647737?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
As terrible as the world is right now, it probably is less terrible than it has ever been before. Here's Ola Rosling, author of this wonderful book, explaining how we underestimate how far we have come.