I share grave concerns about the cultural underpinning of the post-post-modern society that is quickly evolving in the 21st century. In “A Culture of Fantasy” I speculated that the apparent disengagement from reality that seems to be sweeping the world was a consequence of the increasing appeal of fantasy and entertainment in our culture generally. This article and the research of its author, Professor Carol Graham, points in a different direction. It is not fantasy but despair that may be causing people to give up on reality — and even on life. Yes, disinformation and denialism are difficult cultural challenges. But so are the increases in suicide and careless deaths. As Dr. Graham points out, they seem to have the same root cause.
Source: Despair Underlies our Misinformation Crisis – John Templeton Foundation
