Matthew Taylor warns against pessimism

Matthew Taylor, head of The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), considers that "a dangerous gap exists between our personal experience, which is mainly happy, and our view of a society in decline. ... That people whose beliefs imply optimism seem to spend most of their time wallowing in pessimism is one reason that leftists sometimes lack personal credibility (another reason being that egalitarians so clearly enjoy being very well-off). But miserable idealists need to make a New Year resolution to look on the bright side. Pessimism is becoming an impediment to progressive politics. ... It is pessimism of a particular and pernicious kind. People are not generally negative about their own lives."

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