Americans are United by Progress Agency
Discussions of human progress tend to focus on how we benefit from major scientific, technological, legal, and cultural advances. But such advances don't emerge out of thin air. They are the result of human activity. Progress is powered by people. Of course, at some level, everyone understands this fundamental truth. Yet at a time when public discourse tends to fixate on humanity's flaws and failures, it becomes especially important to remind ourselves of humanity's positive characteristics, how we use our advanced intellectual and social capacities to solve problems and improve lives.
When we do talk about people advancing civilization, we tend to fixate on those we think are the most directly responsible for discoveries and innovations that have improved the world. This is good. We should celebrate what Alexander Hammond, in his excellent book, refers to as heroes of progress. However, it is also important to emphasize that each of us has an important role to play in advancing human progress. We all have the ability to make contributions that make the world a better place for current and future generations.
The importance of each person's role in progress connects to a fundamental aspect of human nature: we are an inherently existential species. We have a fundamental need for meaning in life. Our sense of meaning emerges largely through our actions to make positive differences in our families, friendships, workplaces, communities, and broader society. This existential quest for meaning serves as a powerful catalyst for human progress. While a relatively small group of people may be directly involved in major discoveries and innovations, every individual plays a vital role in shaping the environments that make progress possible. As Chelsea Follett articulates in her also excellent book, Centers of Progress, progress flourishes in places characterized by freedom, openness, and peace—environments where people can come together to exchange ideas, create, innovate, build, and trade. Each of us can participate in cultivating such environments by utilizing our abilities, talents, and skills. In other words, each of us can be an agent of progress.
I was curious if Americans view themselves as agents of progress, so in the Human Flourishing Lab's latest Progress Pulse survey, we explored this question. Specifically, we asked a nationally representative sample of just over 2,000 American adults if they believe they have the power and responsibility to use their abilities, talents, or skills to improve the world in some way. We also asked if they believe they are currently doing so. We refer to these beliefs as "progress agency," because agency represents our capacity to make choices and take actions that shape both our own lives and the world around us, and progress advances when we direct this agency toward improving the world.
Americans generally view themselves as agents of progress. Strong majorities agree they have both the power (74%) and responsibility (79%) to make contributions that improve the world. A smaller percentage (64%), but still a majority, report actively using their abilities, talents, or skills to make contributions that improve the world. This gap between perceived capability/responsibility and reported current engagement suggests two important opportunities: helping people recognize the positive impact of their existing actions they might not fully appreciate, and creating new pathways while removing barriers that stand in the way of people developing and using their abilities to make a difference.
Though I am pleased that most Americans endorse progress agency beliefs, there is still work to be done. As I argued here, we need a psychology of progress because human progress and flourishing fundamentally depend on psychological factors. Progress agency represents one dimension of how psychological processes shape human advancement, and it likely connects to broader societal challenges involving mental and social wellbeing, such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, and political polarization. When people experience these psychological and social issues, their motivation to engage in progress-oriented activities may diminish. Conversely, fostering progress agency could help address these challenges by connecting people to a deeper sense of potential and purpose.
You can learn more about what we found in our progress agency survey here. While we observed some demographic differences involving age, education, and income that warrant further exploration, one finding stands out as particularly noteworthy. In our age of political polarization, progress agency transcends partisan divisions. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents feel equally capable and responsible for improving the world and similarly believe they are doing so. This shared sense of progress agency might offer a foundation for bridging political divides and strengthening our shared national identity.
Have a great weekend!
Clay