Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello Wonderseekers!
According to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 36% of people globally think the future will be better for the next generation. And while I can understand the concern (I share it), allowing ourselves to fall into a morass of pessimism will only lead to apathy, which helps no one. So for the month of December, I want to focus on hope. Not saccharine hope but substantial, evidence-backed hope.
This past week was World AIDS Day (which, for some inexplicable reason, the US failed to honor), and there are few more hopeful stories than the history of AIDS.
I can recall when AIDS first emerged. For years, it was a terrifying spectre. People thought you could catch it from a toilet seat or by holding hands with someone infected. Parents rejected their children, and the infected were left to die alone. For those who caught it, the disease was a death sentence. It decimated the gay male population, and since the start of the epidemic, AIDS has killed more than 44million people.
But fast forward to today, and there is so much hope. Antiretroviral therapy means people with HIV can live full lives, and the uninfected can access a highly effective pre-exposure prophylaxis drug. And now there is a vaccine that shows 100% effectiveness that has dropped in price from $28,000 per person to only $40, meaning it will be distributed to 120 low-income nations.
Is it enough to expect AIDS eradication soon? Not yet. But if we look at the developments over the last 40 years, the progress has been astounding. AIDS cases have now dropped 70% and a whopping 77% of people with HIV are able to access antiretrovirals.
Remember the old journalistic adage, “If it bleeds, it leads”, meaning bad news travels faster than good, by design. So try for this week to see the glass as half-full. Find some positive news and join me next week for another tale of hope.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
The new science of hope: Economists are beginning to understand how aspiration shapes life outcomes.
Watch: TED: The future will be shaped by optimists.
Jane Goodall’s lucid optimism: The renowned naturalist believes that we can only save the planet with hope.
Join me later today (Wednesday, December 3rd at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET) for an online interactive discussion about the science of goal setting. We’ll be talking about how curiosity and awe can rewire your brain, and how purpose can amplify performance and well-being. Register here!
With wonder,
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