Opinion
Mr. McKibben is a professor at Middlebury College and the author of “Here Comes the Sun.”
TL;DR
- Humans are evolutionarily unsuited to cope with the rapid and accumulating nature of modern problems.
- The climate crisis and the rapid advancement of AI are major sources of stress and potential existential threats.
- A significant majority of US adults report experiencing fatigue, which is increasingly common in primary care and linked to disability risks.
- Societal divisions and anxiety about the future are significant stressors for Americans.
- Even personal coping mechanisms like exercise and community support are becoming insufficient against the current level of pressure.