Steven Pinker’s latest book, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress,” posits that the prevalence (and allure) of negative news undermines the amazing progress humanity is making. Nowhere is this more true than the public markets, where the most recent bout of volatility focused the minds of investors (and clients alike) more so than ever, overshadowing the remarkable trebling of the stock market since its lows less than 10 years ago.
