Finding Positives in a Troubling Year

There’s no denying that 2020 has been exceptionally tough. Not only has a pandemic killed more than 250,000 people in the U.S. (and over 1.3 million worldwide), but there’s been plenty wrong with humanity’s reaction to the crisis. We’ve seen people disregard science, refuse to engage in simple public health measures, and show a general inability to work together for the common good.

And yet, ever an optimist, I’m here to insist that there’s actually plenty of positives to reflect on as 2020 heads towards its final month. Like any crisis, the pandemic has brought out the best in humanity as well as the worst. Even the American political situation, far from rosy by any stretch of the imagination, provides room for hope.

I’ve come up with ten positive takeaways from 2020, all of which show our species’ infinite capacity for good.

1. Fast Vaccine Discovery

Typically, it takes decades to develop, test, and approve a vaccine. We’re on the verge of having multiple vaccines ready in less than a year. That’s pretty darn impressive, and it’s a testament to the globalized world’s ability to respond to serious threats.

2. Recognition of Essential Workers

On December 31, 2019, could you ever have imagined we were just a few months away from praising grocery store cashiers as heroes? The pandemic and subsequent shutdowns gave us a chance to reflect on who really is essential in our society. Hopefully we can carry this newfound appreciation into the future.

3. Conversations About Racism

This is a tough one to place in the “optimism” category, since there’s still such a long way to go and claiming even small victories in such a lengthy struggle can prove counterproductive. With that being said, there was an antiracist thrust to public discourse in 2020 that would never have happened in 2010. Let’s hope the momentum keeps building.

4. Renewed Look at Celebrity Culture

March 2020 was a scary month. Hospitals in New York were stretched to their limits, bodies were piling up faster than they could be dealt with…and a bunch of celebrities recorded themselves singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” They were rightfully panned, leading to a general questioning of celebrity culture. When the stakes were raised and everything seemed a matter of life and death, we all realized that nurses and pharmacists are more important than actors and Instagram models.

5. Famous People Making a Real Difference

When professional athletes went on strike to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, it seemed more symbolic than politically pragmatic. This snap judgement was quickly proven wrong. The athletes leveraged their clout into tangible results, with many arenas and stadiums converted into polling places. We can only imagine the effect this ended up having on election day.

6. Relatively Smooth Election

Conspiracy theories aside, the United States successfully carried out an election in the midst of a pandemic. Tens of millions of Americans voted by mail, a sudden procedural shift that the system coped with deftly. Poll workers, mail carriers, and election officials carried out their jobs with aplomb.

7. Record Voter Turnout

Let’s face it: the turnout was so high in the 2020 election because the President of the United States is such a polarizing figure. But however you feel about why so many Americans voted, the greater participation is in of itself a good thing. The next decades will throw serious problems our way, and we won’t want to face these challenges with an apathetic citizenry.

8. Climate Change Becoming a Major Topic

We’ve known for years that climate change is the true “existential threat” for humanity, but only now has mainstream America finally acknowledged the severity of the problem. Time is of the essence when it comes to lowering carbon emissions, so this is definitely a case of “better late than never.” With the world’s largest polluter on board, the global community might still avert disaster.

9. American Institutions Holding Strong

Take a quick look at the Federalist Papers, a series of pamphlets published by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay before the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and it will become immediately apparent how much the Founding Fathers worried about protecting the country from a self-interested demagogue. Without naming names, it’s safe to say such an individual is currently putting the system to the test. We won’t be completely out of the woods until the new president is sworn in on January 20th, but so far it looks like democracy and the institution supporting it will remain intact.

10. Respect for Human Life

While fringe protestors and an anti-reality political party have fought against restrictions, the general global consensus has been overwhelming: When push comes to shove, protecting society’s most vulnerable members trumps all other concerns. GDP, personal routines, and cultural activities have all taken a back seat to the shared responsibility for saving lives. We should all be proud of this prosocial and life-affirming attitude.

I’m as worried about the future of humanity as anybody else. There are challenges ahead that we will certainly struggle to surmount. But as we fight to save our species, it’s important to step back and remember why that species is so special, so beautiful, and so incredibly worth saving.