Improving Society

This page is all about how to fix social issues that are causing so much pain across the US and the world. There is certainly no shortage of things we don’t like. There are plenty of problems that are causing so much pain and anger across the country. These issues all combine to create the incredibly hostile (and seemingly rapidly deteriorating) environment we are in.

But making socety better is not that hard. This page is all about how we can make society Less Bad for everyone.

A note about “sides”

This site is not for the left or the right. I try to be a reasonable person, and I’m doing my best to keep this site “moderate.” It’s difficult in this environment where we’re told there are two and only two sides, and that anyone who doesn’t fall in line behind one of the two extremes doesn’t count. Nevertheless I’m sympathetic to a lot (but certainly not all) of the grievances on both the left and the right.

This site is built with the hope that it is still possible to make progress toward a future that is better for everyone, regardless of their political leanings.

To that end, the topics covered are explored in a way I believe the majority of Americans (and really any reasonable person) would mostly agree with.

This page is one of four “hub” pages (the others being environment, business, and government), which I’m using to help organize all the pages on the site. Not everything (in fact almost nothing) fits neatly into the four hubs, but I think it’s useful to organize ideas into at least one, usually more, of these main categories.

“Society” is kind of a catch-all term here. You could argue that everything that deals with humanity can be categorized as societal, and I wouldn’t really disagree.

I’m certainly not doing a perfect job of classification, but that isn’t my goal. I’m trying to organize “stuff” into four buckets (society, business, government, and environment) just to make it more manageable.

As it relates to this site right now, social issues are those that don’t clearly fall into one of the other three buckets.

And of course there is a lot of overlap. For example, I’m putting education and health care into the societal bucket. These are both heavily influenced by government and business, but they fundamentally deal with how we function as a society.

Anyway, as I outlined in How to Solve Problems in Society and refer to throughout the site, this site’s problem-solving framework, how I think we can make things Less Bad, relies on four components:

  • Problems – things we don’t like, things that are causing people to suffer
  • Causes – What actions and incentives are causing those problems
  • Goals – Thing we want, ideals to strive for
  • Strategies – Ways to help us make progress toward those goals

Like the four other hub pages, this page breaks down social issues in terms of these four groupings. The hope is that by giving all these issues a little more structure it will be easier to break down and make progress.

Societal Problems

There is certainly plenty of room for improvement when looking at the world today.

Attempting to list all the problems in society right now is a bit of a fool’s errand. Everywhere you look there seems to be something else going haywire. But some problems are more evident than others. And I do believe that the 80 – 20 rule applies when it comes to how to fix society. That is that 80 percent of the problems are caused by 20 percent of the causes. So we don’t necessarily need to list out every last problem to address it.

If we start with the big societal problems and address those, there will be trickle-down improvements across all kinds of areas. Like everything on this site, this list will be improved and expanded upon, but for now here are what I’ve identified as some of the most important problems facing the US and the world right now.

//Begin Social problems:{
A Future Hellscape

A Future Hellscape

We are headed towards a future hellscape of a society. Without drastic action, the future is going to be dire ...
America's Top Issues

America’s Top Issues

What are the biggest issues in America? There's no shortage of candidates. We look at some of the most important ...
Are We Headed for Another World War?

Are We Headed for Another World War?

It's a scary time to be alive. Is WWIII around the corner? Will humans ever stop killing each other? Is ...
Crime and Violence

Crime and Violence

Increasing crime is devastating communities across the country. People are scared. Budgets are stretched. Prisons are full. Is there a ...
Division Like Crazy!

Division Like Crazy!

We have got to deal with the division in the country. The path we're on is not sustainable. How did ...
Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction

Drug addiction affects all aspects of life, from public health and safety to economic productivity. We have got to do ...
Gridlock

Gridlock

Gridlock is the law of the land. Government hasn't done anything of value in years. But all is not lost ...
Inequality

Inequality

Inequality is one of the more important problems we're facing in America. Most of us are being left behind as ...
Poverty

Poverty

So much poverty in America is unacceptable. We are wasting lives and there is no need for it. Alleviating poverty ...
So Much Anger

So Much Anger

We are all FURIOUS! So much anger and hate is destroying the country. Why are we all so angry? What ...
I Owe the Hospital What?

The Health Care Crisis

The Health Care system is terribly broken and is costing us a fortune. We can do better ...
The High Cost of Living

The High Cost of Living

Increased costs are devastating communities across the country. What's behind the increase in costs, and what can we do about ...
The Middle Class is Getting Squeezed

The Middle Class is Getting Squeezed

Powerful forces are squeezing the middle class, wringing every last cent out of our pocket and into the pockets of ...
The Plastic Island is an Embarrassment

The Plastic Island is an Embarrassment

The Great Pacific Garbage Island is a swirling mass of roughly 79,000 tons of plastic debris, and it's getting bigger ...
We're Fucking Over the Monkeys - And Everything Else

We’re Fucking Over the Monkeys – And Everything Else

The monkey's plight serves as a stark reminder of our own degraded environment. As humans, the way we behave has ...

}end social problems.//

Causes of the Problems in Society

There are all kinds of causes of the problems above. Some are historical, some deal with incentives, some are influenced by human biology.

Considering that each of the problems has multiple causes, i.e. things that are affecting it, the list of causes or reasons for social problems could be endless. But again, we don’t need to list every last cause, because there are a few that play an oversized role.

Here are some of the causes that have the biggest impact on contributing to our many social problems.

An Inept, Lazy and Compromised Media

An Inept, Lazy and Compromised Media

The news media is devastating our country. Anger, division and distractions rule the day, and it's not good for anyone ...
Are We Even Here?

Are We Even Here?

The question of whether we are really here or not has puzzled humans for centuries. Some philosophers and scientists have ...
Corruption

Corruption

Corruption has devastating consequences and fighting it is vital to a better future ...
Extrepublicrats - Causing All the Trouble

Extrepublicrats – Causing All the Trouble

The rise of extrepublicrats is a sad reflection of the state of our country. They are increasingly making it difficult ...
Human Nature

Human Nature

As individuals and as a collective, we often work against our best interests with behaviors that seem hardwired to make ...
Incentives

Incentives

Incentives determine what the word looks like. By designing effective strategies to incentivize productive behaviour, we can change the world ...
Irresponsible Corporations

Irresponsible Corporations

Businesses can't be actively harming society. Corporations need to be accountable for their impact on society ...
Lack of awareness

Lack of awareness

One cause of environmental problems is the lack of awareness about the issue. Many people are simply not aware of ...
Money

Money

Problems Money Causes Money is Behind Many Things Fixing Money Can Do Some Great Things Strategies for Making Money More ...
Nobody leaves money on the table

Nobody leaves money on the table

People generally want to maximize their outcomes and take advantage of opportunities for gain ...
Overpopulation - From One Billion to Nine Billion

Overpopulation – From One Billion to Nine Billion

The planet is overpopulated and it's having devastating consequences. What can we do to mitigate the problems caused by so ...
Polarization

Polarization

Problems Polarization Causes Why is there so much Polarization? If Polarization went away, what colud happen? How Can We Reduce ...
Pollution Is Killing Everything

Pollution Is Killing Everything

We are destroying the planet with all the pollution. The air, water, land, even the night sky and sound! Where ...
Rising Inequality - Enough is Enough

Rising Inequality – Enough is Enough

Increasing inequality is not sustainable. Where does it come from? What can we do? Unless we reduce inequality we are ...
So. Much. Waste.

So. Much. Waste.

There is so much waste across so many aspects of society. Resources that could be better spent improving society are ...
The Developed World is Aging

The Developed World is Aging

Paradoxically, at the same time that we need to worry about overpopulation in parts of the world, the developed world ...
The Future

The Future

Problems Causes Goals Strategies ...
The Leadership Vacuum: Our Politicians are Worthless and the Media Lies

The Leadership Vacuum: Our Politicians are Worthless and the Media Lies

Nobody is in charge. There are zero adults in the room. Bad times. Real Bad ...
Vicious Cycles: Escaping the Cycle of Failure

Vicious Cycles: Escaping the Cycle of Failure

From the micro to the macro level, vicious cycles can have a devastating impact on society. At their core, vicious ...
We Only Do Things That Make Money

We Only Do Things That Make Money

Money makes the world go 'round. It doesn't solve our problems. Unless someone is getting paid, we are on our ...
Who Are We? An Inquiry into the Existence and Purpose of Human Beings

Who Are We? An Inquiry into the Existence and Purpose of Human Beings

As we venture into uncharted territories, exploring the depths and frontiers of our universe, we are often confronted with a ...

Societal Goals

Like most of the goals on this site, the ones below are purposely nebulous in that they don’t have specific metrics or numbers attached to them. At some point in the future maybe I’ll have the resources and need to come up with more definite goals. But in general it comes down to the more the better. After all, all we’re doing is trying to make things Less Bad.

While perhaps (ok definitely) a bit unreasonable, I think a goal of the human race should be to promote universal happiness. Many philosophers throughout time have said that suffering is inevitable. Some even say that being human is synonymous with suffering. I don’t know if it will ever be possible to eliminate human suffering – or that we’d even want to).

But we can certainly lessen suffering. There is a difference between slowly watching your children starve to death and feeling anxiety about interacting with someone at the store (the so-called “first world problems”). The goals below are my attempt at identifying what would do the most to make most people’s lives better.

Ambitious goals we want for society:

A Better Country

A Better Country

The midpoint of the 2020s is in sight. Reflecting on a decade packed with unexpected challenges, we must look to ...
A Better Future

A Better Future

We can build a better tomorrow. We have the tools to create a world we can be proud of - ...
A Competitive Marketplace

A Competitive Marketplace

A free market can provide incredible things. When companies compete fairly for consumers, society wins. We need a competitive marketplace ...
A Healthy Planet

A Healthy Planet

A healthy planet is vital for our survival. It's a lofty goal but with the right strategies one that's achievable ...
Competent Leaders

Competent Leaders

Is it too much to ask for real leadership? Having adults in the room would go a long way toward ...
Healthy People - Building a Stronger Nation

Healthy People – Building a Stronger Nation

We want people to be healthy. Overall health across society is achievable and a goal worth pursuing ...
Real News: Unbiased Sources of Information

Real News: Unbiased Sources of Information

A functioning Democracy requires a trustworthy media. We can't hold the powerful accountable if we don't know what's happening. We ...
Strong Communities

Strong Communities

Strong and thriving communities have the power to drastically improve everyday life across the country. They help everything and are ...
The Circular Economy

The Circular Economy

A Circular Economy is the only way to avert disaster. By reevaluating consumption patterns we chart a new course. It's ...
Transparency

Transparency

Transparency is a valuable resource that can help build trust, promote accountability, and create a more just and equitable society ...
World Peace - Is It Impossible?

World Peace – Is It Impossible?

World peace is possible. We won't get there tomorrow, but as a species we have the ability to make it ...
With some societal goals in place, we can identify some strategies that can help us make progress toward those goals.

Strategies for Making Society Better

When attempting to identify what problems are most important or pressing, and therefore what strategies are most powerful, there is an interesting phenomenon at play. Most of us deal with this issue on a regular if not daily basis – that the bigger the problem, the harder it is to solve, and vice versa.

For that reason, I think it’s important to focus on both, with a concerted effort to understand the biggest leverage points. Where can we have the biggest positive impact?

At the same time there are smaller, more reasonable strategies. Areas where we can make more progress, faster. As the site (hopefully!) grows and evolves I’ll do a better job of examining goals in terms of their feasibility and impact.

For now, we’ve gotta start somewhere.

Here are some steps we can take to reach our societal goals:

A Four-Day Workweek

A Four-Day Workweek

A four-day workweek can have pervasive societal benefits and should be a strategy we look at for improving society ...
AI - The Path To Sentience

AI – The Path To Sentience

Scientists and theorists have identified key stages that are likely to be involved as artificial intelligence becomes sentient ...
Artificial Intelligence - Is It the Answer?

Artificial Intelligence – Is It the Answer?

Artificial intelligence can help us create powerful solutions with far-reaching implications. Is AI the solution to all our problems? ...
Being Constructive: How to Move Forward

Being Constructive: How to Move Forward

Cooperation required for progress. And being constructive is essential to cooperation. Things run smoother when everyone is on the same ...
Build on What Exists

Build on What Exists

We can't wait for perfection. There are dozens of organizations working hard to change the world for the better today ...
Wage Increase

Champion Honest Pay

Everyday employees deserve more of the profits they help create. Inequality is raging and lowering the wage gap can make ...
Close the Carried Interest Loophole

Close the Carried Interest Loophole

Effectively closing the carried interest loophole is a critical measure to create a more equitable and balanced economy ...
Cooperation: The Way to Go

Cooperation: The Way to Go

Cooperation is the only way to move forward. Reaching our common goals can only happen if lots of people work ...
Data Science and Its Ability to Help Further Progress

Data Science and Its Ability to Help Further Progress

When people think of data science, they often picture some advanced, perhaps even futuristic system, and some super technical people ...
DNA Sequencing: Unlocking the Secrets of Life

DNA Sequencing: Unlocking the Secrets of Life

DNA sequencing has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our world and save lives in a variety of ways ...
Embrace Innovation

Embrace Innovation

The future is coming one way or the other. Embracing innovation means using it to drive positive change, not make ...
Fixing the World: The Ultimate Guide

Fixing the World: The Ultimate Guide

The ten most powerful ways to make the world a better place. Ten simple strategies to get us back on ...
Follow the Golden Rule

Follow the Golden Rule

We've all heard the famous adage to ‘treat others as you want to be treated’. But how much weight does ...
Force Multipliers: Turbo-charging Societal Progress:

Force Multipliers: Turbo-charging Societal Progress:

Leveraging Force Multipliers can change the world. They apply to just about any industries or field, and can have a ...
Give People Meaning

Give People Meaning

By helping individuals find purpose and meaning we can create happier, healthier, and more engaged communities for all ...
How to Change the World

How to Change the World

"Changing the World Is the Only Fit Work for a Grown Man" -Howard Luck Gossage ...
How to Solve Problems in Society

How to Solve Problems in Society

There are soooo many problems in society that need to be fixed. It seems hopeless. But surrendering, deciding it's impossible, ...
Impact Consumerism

Impact Consumerism

The private sector can't keep sitting on the sidelines as we decend further into chaos. We need businesses to help ...
Improving Education

Improving Education

Education reform has the potential to empower the coming generations, ensuring their ability to compete in an ever changing world ...
Include True Costs in Prices

Include True Costs in Prices

By including the real cost of producing a good in the price, companies can provide consumers with a more accurate ...
Increase the Inheritance Tax

Increase the Inheritance Tax

Increasing the inheritance tax is one of the simplest and most effective ways to combat inequality and promote greater economic ...
Increasing Accountability: How to Hold the Powerful Responsible

Increasing Accountability: How to Hold the Powerful Responsible

Only by putting pressure on our leaders can we hope their behavior to change. Increasing accountability is vital to progress ...
Legal Reform

Legal Reform

Our Legal System Should be an Asset, Not a Hindrance. We've got to Create a Legal System That Furthers Progress, ...
Making Progress: The Only Way

Making Progress: The Only Way

Making progress is the only way to create a virtuous cycle in society. What is a virtuous cycle? It's basically ...
Measuring Twice and Collapsing Superposition

Measuring Twice and Collapsing Superposition

The concept of superposition in quantum mechanics suggests that when a particle is in superposition, it is many states at ...
Prioritize Human Flourishing

Prioritize Human Flourishing

A culture that prioritizes human flourishing rather than profit at any cost will go a long way toward building a ...
Promoting the Common Good

Promoting the Common Good

Doing what's best for society at large instead of what benefits a small minority is the best way to move ...
Upward Mobility

Promoting Upward Mobility: The Key to the American Dream

Everyone deserves equal access to upward mobility. You should be able to improve your life without killing yourself or neglecting ...
Reduce Health Care Cost

Reduce Health Care Cost

Getting a grip on health care costs is a must. These wacked out costs are holding us back and making ...
Reduce Traffic

Reduce Traffic

Reducing Traffic Congestion - We're wasting too much time in our cars. It's unproductive, wasteful, and harmful to the planet ...
Reform the Finance Industry

Reform the Finance Industry

Reforming the finance and banking sector is essential to ensuring that the finance industry works in the best interests of ...
Reward "Good" Work

Reward “Good” Work

By rewarding work beneficial to the collective good, we can create a culture where people are motivated to make positive ...
Taking Personal Responsibility

Taking Personal Responsibility

If you are unhappy with your life and the world you can't put it all on others. You are the ...
The Great Machine

The Great Machine

Once upon a time, there was a machine unlike any other. It was called "The Great Machine," and its purpose ...
The Humanity Index

The Humanity Index

How can we evaluate the impact of companies on society? Join us in developing The Humanity Index, a transparent evaluation ...
Voting at the Cash Register

The Rise of Impact Consumersim

Impact Consumerism is how we harness the free market for US, not them. It's time to #DemandMoreforYourDollar ...
The Secondhand Economy

The Secondhand Economy

The secondhand economy is growing. More people are turning to used goods to save money, and the environment ...
The Simple Solution to All Our Problems

The Simple Solution to All Our Problems

There's a clear but diffficult way to solve so many of the problems we're facing. Learn a path forward to ...
Universal Basic Income: Game-Changer Policy or Pipe Dream?

Universal Basic Income: Game-Changer Policy or Pipe Dream?

Is a Universal Basic Income a realistic way to move the country forward, or is it too costly and just ...
Value-Based Care Can Remake the Health Care System

Value-Based Care Can Remake the Health Care System

Value-based care is a way to overhaul the broken US healthcare system. The goal is to shift the focus of ...
Virtuous Cycles Can Solve All Global Challenges

Virtuous Cycles Can Solve All Global Challenges

Virtuous cycles can have a profound impact on the world. Effectively leveraging these feedback loops might be the only way ...
What Are We Going to Do?

What Are We Going to Do?

Is It All Hopeless? Is There Any Way We Can Move Forward as a Country? Yes, Yes There Is ...

As you can probably gather this site is still very much in its infancy. Stay tuned to learn what we’re doing to make things Less Bad.

Be a Part of the Solution!

Clearly, there’s a long way ahead for Less Bad, and I’d love for you to join the ride.

Please signup for the newsletter, it’s the best way to learn about what is going on.

Please share the site on social media, you can find the links in the footer. I really appreciate any help spreading awareness.

And feel free to drop a line at hey at lessbad.org.

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