SFS Minute 949: Literacy

I've been trying to point out that, at the macro level, the 30,000-foot level, things in the world are actually getting better. It's very hard to understand that and to feel it all. The news is bad. We're at war. Gasoline prices are going up. They say it's a hard time to be optimistic, but I've been trying to point out some ways that the world is getting better. I'll give you one more great example right after this. For most of human history, reading and writing have been very rare skills. Education was limited to small groups, but over the last century, education systems around the world have improved dramatically. Today, global literacy rates are higher than at any point in history. Billions more people can read, learn, and participate in economic and civic life. The lesson is encouraging. Access to knowledge increases opportunities and makes the world better.