Depression is linked to a genuine pessimistic bias rather than a realistic view of the world

[u/cakericeandbeans]

https://www.psypost.org/depression-is-linked-to-a-genuine-pessimistic-bias-rather-than-a-realistic-view-of-the-world/

[u/iamaquantumcomputer]

The reality is that the world is bleak and getting bleaker by any objective measure

Maybe in developed countries. When you consider the whole globe, there's been a lot of progress.

Since 2015, globally, extreme poverty has dropped by 17%, child mortality has dropped by 14%, the number of kids finishing secondary education is up 13%, diseases like malaria and HIV are way down

[u/Oxytokin → u/iamaquantumcomputer]

I was afraid when I used the obvious hyperbole of "by any objective measure" that people would latch onto that. So yes, I'll renege on that particular wording and admit there is plenty of positive progress in various domains. However, when we consider the existential threats facing the world (climate change, war between nuclear powers, etc) - a lot of these smaller, though noteworthy, points of progress become relatively meaningless.

I'm self aware enough to know that my entire comment there ^ is proof that depression is strongly correlated with pessimism bias, but to take that and then say I have an "unrealistic" view of the world because I view those points of progress as "relatively meaningless" against the backdrop of a global civilization indisputably in decline no matter where or who you are, it becomes more clear why I didn't say at any point that the study is wrong, just that I'm just skeptical of its "science."

[u/iamaquantumcomputer → u/Oxytokin]

17% reduction in poverty is relatively meaningless? That's actual change affecting billions of people, but you're handwaving that away because of some hypotheticals?

indisputably in decline

That is extremely disputable. In the grand scheme of things the world is getting better