What Could Go Right, And Why We Rarely Hear About It

8 snips

Jun 16, 2025

Zachary Karabell, the head of The Progress Network and host of the What Could Go Right podcast, brings his insights into 'edgy optimism.' He discusses how small victories in areas like universal childcare in New Mexico and advancements in gene therapies are often overlooked. Karabell argues that it’s not about the lack of progress but rather our failure to notice it. Additionally, he critiques a provocative ad from Netanyahu while reflecting on the contrast between a lackluster military parade and vibrant protests for democracy.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Defining Edgy Optimism

Optimism is the humble awareness that the future is unknown and can be better.
Pessimism falsely assumes certainty that things will get worse, ignoring our capacity to improve.

INSIGHT

Progress Hidden by Doom Narratives

We often fail to notice progress because doom dominates our cultural narratives.
Even intense crises like pandemics or protests don't guarantee that society is worsening in the long term.

INSIGHT

Investor Pessimism is Cultural

Billionaire investors often express pessimism publicly despite actual market growth.
Cultural differences affect outlooks, with some investors globally more optimistic than U.S. counterparts.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The Road

Tom Stechschulte

Cormac McCarthy

The Road is set in a world that has been devastated by an unspecified cataclysmic event, resulting in the extinction of nearly all life on Earth. The story follows an unnamed father and his young son as they travel south along the road, carrying their meager possessions and a pistol with only two bullets. The father, suffering from a worsening respiratory condition, is determined to protect his son from the dangers of their new world, including cannibalistic marauders. Along their journey, they encounter various survivors, some of whom are cruel and others who show kindness. The novel explores themes of love, survival, and the preservation of humanity in a world devoid of hope. Ultimately, the father's health fails, and he dies, but not before ensuring his son's safety with a new family who may offer a chance for a better future[2][3][4].

Rise and kill first

The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations

Ronen Bergman

This book provides a detailed account of Israel's targeted killing programs, from the early days of the state to the present. Bergman, through extensive interviews with over a thousand state officials and access to thousands of classified documents, reveals the intricacies of Israel's intelligence community and armed services. The book explores the historical context, operational details, and moral dilemmas associated with these programs, including the assassination of key figures from Hamas, Hezbollah, the PLO, and Iranian nuclear scientists. It also discusses the broader impact on Israeli statecraft and international relations[2][3][6].

The Beginning of Infinity

Explanations That Transform the World

David Deutsch

In this groundbreaking book, David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor. The book takes readers on a journey through various fields of science, history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions. Deutsch explains how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, and discusses the conditions under which progress, which he argues is potentially boundless, can and cannot happen. He emphasizes the importance of good explanations, which he defines as those that are 'hard to vary' and have 'reach', and argues that these explanations are central to the Enlightenment way of thinking and to all scientific and philosophical progress.