While browsing through a nearby library, I happened to find 'Factfulness,' a book I wanted to read, so I borrowed it.

The summaries at the end of each chapter were great, so let's extract them for now.

Factfulness is about...

1. Noticing words that indicate 'divisions' in stories
2. Being aware of negative news
3. Realizing the assumption that 'the graph will straighten out'
4. Noticing the tendency to focus on 'terrible things' automatically
5. Realizing the misunderstanding that a single number is extremely important
6. Recognizing when things are explained based on patterns in a single group
7. Realizing that things (people, countries, religions, cultures) appear unchanged because changes occur slowly and gradually
8. Understanding that a single perspective is not enough to comprehend the world
9. Noticing when someone is being blamed as a scapegoat
10. Becoming aware of one's impatience when feeling the need to make an instant decision

General Rules of Factfulness

1. To restrain our division instinct...
   Let's find where the majority stands
2. To restrain our negativity instinct...
   Remember that bad news spreads more easily
3. To restrain our straight line instinct...
   Learn that straight lines eventually curve
4. To restrain our fear instinct...
   Calculate risks
5. To restrain our exaggeration instinct...
   Compare numbers
6. To restrain our pattern instinct...
   Question classifications
7. To restrain our destiny instinct...
   Remember that even slow changes are still changes
8. To restrain our simplification instinct...
   Remember that one piece of knowledge cannot be applied to everything
9. To restrain our blame instinct...
   Realize that blaming someone won't solve the problem
10. To restrain our impatience instinct...
    Take small steps

Impressions

Throughout the book, I think it emphasized the importance of verifying numbers on our own.
On the other hand, it also highlighted the importance of not relying too much on numbers.

It resonates with me on an intuitive level.

Seeing numbers is definitely better than not seeing them at all, but it's not good to be too fixated on them.
Because the world is even more complex than we can imagine, and it's not always possible to measure all related numbers.

I believe that by looking at the numbers, it can help regain composure in the face of fear, exaggeration, and impatience.
I recognize my weaknesses in these areas, so I'll keep them in mind.

It was interesting to read about many things based on facts.
The discussion on dividing the world into four income levels personally left a strong impression on me.
Honestly, all four income levels are considered 'poverty' in Japan, and even at level 3, there are 6 billion people.

We are quite privileged.

One more thing.

There was a graph showing the change in average life expectancy, indicating that in the 1800s, the average life expectancy was 31 years.

It's hard to believe that it was so low just 200 years ago.

By 2017, it had increased to 72 years. An incredible change occurred in just 200 years.

Recent years have seen major events like the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid AI development, making it an extraordinary period.

In other words, we are right in the midst of an incredibly fascinating era.
I aim to move forward step by step based on facts without getting too caught up in momentary emotions.