A Summary of Factfulness Chapter 1: The Gap Instinct
In Chapter 1 of Factfulness, Hans Rosling introduces us to the concept of the “Gap Instinct,” which is the tendency to divide the world into two distinct and often opposing groups, imagining a wide gap between them — such as “developed” and “developing” countries, or “us” and “them.”
The Problem with Dividing the World into Two Groups
For years, many people have understood the world in simple binaries: rich versus poor, developed versus developing, privileged versus deprived. But this perspective is outdated and inaccurate.
This misconception of a world divided into two opposing groups — a privileged minority versus a disadvantaged majority — feeds into the “gap instinct” that Rosling explains. In reality, most of the world falls somewhere between these two extremes. The majority are neither extremely rich nor extremely poor, but rather part of an expanding middle-income group.
The Middle Majority and the Changing Reality
Low-income countries are now significantly more developed than people tend to think, and far fewer people are still living in absolute poverty. As such, the world is much more complex than the simplistic divide between “developed” and “developing.” Most countries today fall into the middle-income range. The narrative of a vast divide between two worlds is no longer valid.
The problem with the gap instinct is that it oversimplifies a nuanced reality. It paints a picture of two opposite poles, making it seem like the world’s population is spread across either end of a spectrum, with nothing in between. This couldn’t be further from the truth — most people are in the middle, with living standards, incomes, and opportunities that fall somewhere between what we think of as “rich” and “poor.”
The Media’s Role in Fueling the Gap Instinct
One reason why the gap instinct persists is due to the nature of media. News stories are designed to capture attention, and they often do so by focusing on the extreme, the shocking, and the unusual. This focus on the exceptional gives us a skewed perception of the world. It makes us think that extreme poverty or extreme wealth is the norm when, in fact, most people are living somewhere in the middle.
Rosling emphasizes that to truly understand the world, we need to resist the urge to see it in terms of binary categories. Instead, we should learn to view the world as it is: a bell-curve distribution, where the majority lies in the middle, rather than at two extremes.
Moving Beyond “Us” vs. “Them”
The gap instinct also fosters a dangerous “us versus them” mentality. It creates an illusion that there is an insurmountable divide between different groups of people when, in reality, we have far more in common than we realize. This way of thinking makes it easier to imagine that “we” are fundamentally different from “them,” which can lead to prejudice and division.
Instead of imagining a world split by vast gaps, we should work towards understanding the broad spectrum of experiences and conditions that exist across the globe. By doing so, we can develop a more nuanced, empathetic, and fact-based view of humanity.
Factfulness: A Balanced Perspective
To combat the gap instinct, Rosling suggests that we embrace a concept called “factfulness.” This means seeing the world as it really is, using data and evidence rather than relying on simplistic divisions. Instead of thinking in terms of black and white, we should view the world through the lens of a bell curve, where most people are in the middle. This allows us to understand the true nature of progress, the distribution of wealth, and the complexities of human society.
In conclusion, the gap instinct is a misleading way of thinking that prevents us from seeing the world accurately. The reality is much more balanced, and by understanding that most people fall somewhere between the extremes, we can develop a deeper, more informed perspective of the world. Factfulness encourages us to challenge our assumptions, recognize our biases, and move beyond the simplistic “us versus them” narrative to truly understand the world as it is.
