Seeing the Glass Half Empty

The doom-and-gloomsters always want to see the glass as half empty.

Here is a posting from the Progress Daily website:
According to the UN’s latest biennial population forecast, the median age for all countries is due to rise from 29 now to 38 by 2050. At present just under 11% of the world’s 6.9 billion people are over 60. By 2050 that share will have risen to 22% (of a population of over 9 billion), and in the developed countries to 33%.

In 1900 average life expectancy at birth for the world as a whole was only around 30 years, and in rich countries under 50. The figures now are 67 and 78 respectively.

In the early 1970s women across the world were, on average, having 4.3 children each. The current global average is 2.6, and in rich countries only 1.6. By 2050 the global figure will have dropped to just two, and the world’s population will begin to level out.

“A slow-burning fuse,” by Barbara Beck

Rather than see this as a problem, you can put a positive spin on it:

• Increasing the portion of the population who are elderly will decrease the "live for the moment and die gloriously" foolishness of youth and increase the "life is precious, live it thoughtfully" crowd. It will probably mean less violence, fewer wars, less mad consumption.
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• Reducing the proportion of youth means less resources must be spent in getting the young through their first 20+ years with a lot of subsidies for education.


• Democracy will bloom. Older folks are known to be more avid voters who show up at the polls.


• Having more life experiences may mean a more tolerant society and a more willingness to live-and-let-be. (OK, I'm probably stretching it with this point, but having more life experiences must have some beneficial aspect. It certainly makes me more aware of the complexities of life and reduces my willingness to jump to simplistic solutions.)