optimism, pessimism in progress (with applications to eschatology)

OK, now for something optimistic-- from Steven Pinker in Cato's "Letters". Although focused on "reason", generally provocative and applicable to Christian eschatology as well.

1.) What "lifts us up"?

2.) Who has a stake in certain optimistic/pessimistic narratives?

3.) What does history (really) say?

4.) What kinds of progress are reversible, subject to backsliding or permanent?

my big take-away from last night's debate

One good thing about the debate last night: when someone talks about it, you can quickly and accurately tell what sort of person they are...

-"Biden was terrible." = GOP partisan, willfully or unwittingly blind on matters of politics

-"Trump was terrible." = Dem partisan, willfully or unwittingly blind on matters of politics

-"Biden and Trump were terrible." = 3rd party partisan and/or grounded in reality...

-"What debate?" = politically healthy and/or apathetic

My counsel when you run into the first two: 

a.) try to keep your smile/grimace to yourself; 

b.) question their character and judgment more broadly-- and hope that it's a narrow problem; 

c.) pray for their political idolatry; and 

d.) try to avoid them, at least until T-day.