I recently read an article that explained how humans tend to seek out news of dramatic, negative events. Some experts say that this is because our brains evolved in a hunter-gatherer environment in which anything perceived as threatening had to be attended to immediately for survival.

Despite the fact that depressing headlines can make us feel uncomfortable, there appears to be a strong correlation between negative events and our curiosity about the news.

Statistics show that when there is a major negative event, news viewership increases dramatically.

The news would have you believe that terrorism is ubiquitous, nuclear war is imminent and Brexit is going to bring Armageddon to our shores. And why wouldn’t they perpetuate this view when evidence shows that bad news sells?

Nobody wants to hear how Mrs Miggins fell over in Aldi, but 2 tracksuit clad teenage lads kindly helped her get back to her feet and then carried her shopping home for her – how bloody boring!

But if those 2 teenagers had nicked her purse….Ooooh! NOW we’re talking!! Because the thing about teenagers is, they’re ALL b*****ds!! Aren’t they?

Creatures of habit

Have you ever tried giving up a habit? Not easy is it?

I have always watched the news, I’m not quite sure why, because on the whole, it bums me out and annoys me more than it ‘informs or educates’ me.

I prefer to believe that the world is generally an amazing place, full of abundance and opportunity. So around 6 weeks ago I decided to quit listening to, watching or reading the ‘news’, just to see what would happen.

I can’t say I have missed it.

(However, I haven’t managed to go completely ‘off grid’ as I receive a weekly update from my father in-law).

Is the world going to hell?!

Here are a few facts and figures to ponder the next time you hear that the world is going to hell in a handbasket…..

• In 1800, not a single country had an average life expectancy of longer than 40 years! Today, there is not a single country with a life expectancy shorter than 40 years – not a single one.
• 200 years ago, only 12% of the world’s population could read and write, now, there’s only around 12% that CAN’T read or write.
• Around 138,000 people per day have been lifted out of poverty over the last 25 years.
• In 1820, the share of the World living in absolute poverty was 94%, this was reduced to 44% by 1981 and by 2015 it was 9.6% (according to The World Bank).
• 2017 was the safest year in aviation history, with not a single death being attributed to an incident involving a passenger jet.
• I wrote this blog using a laptop that can turn into a tablet, researched the content on the internet whilst listening to music on my iPhone through Spotify – which by the way, knows what type of music I like and proceeds to ‘shuffle’ through my favourite artists without me even having to do anything!

Of course, we should not be complacent, but the world is heading in the right direction:

• Incomes are growing in all parts of the world.
• Global poverty is declining rapidly.
• And the poorest countries are growing the fastest.

Despite the evidence only 5% of the British population believe that the world is improving on the whole – and I’m not surprised. Negative news is everywhere – and it is everywhere precisely because so many people pay attention to it.

It is a cyclical relationship that perpetuates negativity. Don’t be part of it, because this is the best time in history to be alive. Abundance and opportunity are on every corner.

An investors perspective

Innovations are occurring at a record pace and this will pave the way for the patient and steady handed equity investor!

Here are just 3 of many innovations that are happening right now which could positively impact the economy, despite their lack of coverage in the media:

• 3D printing technology.

An 83-year-old woman suffering from a lower-jaw infection recently became the first person to receive a jaw implant manufactured with a 3D printer.

• Drone technology.

Drones are delivering packages, monitoring crops, and finding missing people. Amazon plan to use the technology to deliver orders in less than 30 minutes!

• Smart contact lenses

These will not only help people see better. Contact lenses are being created that will monitor blood sugar levels, and Sony are working on a contact lens that can record video which you control by blinking.

How cool is the future going to be? I only wish I could be around in 100 years to see what else we think of, in fact, who knows – I might be!

Check out the links below for some really interesting facts and figures:

Click here to check out a short visual article about historic market movements and the associated media storms that followed (all predicting an Armageddon that never materialised).

Here is A visual history of world poverty.

Here is A visual history of world hunger

I am currently listening to a fascinating book called ‘Progress’ – you can also get this on audible if (like me) you prefer to consume your content audibly.

(Disclaimer: If you click any link in this email, you will be departing from the regulatory email of Clarity Lifestyle Financial Planning. Neither Clarity Lifestyle Financial Planning nor Intrinsic are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site).

Until next time…

If you are looking for a sharp suited salesperson to flog you a pension or investment, then unfortunately you are in the wrong place. But if you are looking for a collaborative partner to help you and your family succeed financially, then hit me at planning@claritylfp.co.uk and let’s see if we get along!

(The value of pensions and investments can fall as well as rise, you may get back less than you invested).

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