Factfulness

The single perspective instinct is the tendency for humans to prefer simple ideas because they provide a moment of clarity. While these simple ideas are easy for our brains to process, they cause us to believe everything can be answered with ease. From here, we believe a simple idea “beautifully explains, or is the beautiful solution for, lots of other things” (186). Things become either all good or all bad because thinking this way satisfies our craving for simple solutions. We construct facts and opinions for things we don’t fully understand, which leads to us being “blind to information that doesn’t fit your perspective” (186).

The single perspective instinct leads individuals to becoming fixated. Rosling describes this tendency as it applies to activists. Whether for women’s rights, endangered animals, or climate awareness, activists make great strides by playing up the severity of their cause. Doing so brings a sense of urgency to their case, but it also offers the idea that things are not improving. Fixating on the goal at the expense of recognizing progress can make people feel like their efforts are not having an impact.

To control the single perspective instinct, Rosling recommends familiarizing ourselves with beliefs that don’t match our own.