We tend to think in terms of our personal experiences, our personal lifetimes. But the short span of the current generation is hardly typical of the world as it has been throughout human history.

“Homo Sapiens has been around for about 8,000 generations, and for most of that time, life has been rather unpleasant,” Stephen D. Krasner, a professor at Stanford University, reminds us. (“Learning to Live with Despots,” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2020)

Only in the last few centuries have a few nations attempted participatory democracy, rule of law, and other practices we in developed nations tend to think of as normal.

“The experience of people living in wealthy industrialized democracies since the end of World War II, with lives relatively free of violence, is the exception,” writes Krasner.

For that reason, we who still live in such places should not take for granted that they will continue. Quite likely, the only reason for their continuance might be our realizing how precious they are.

We came close to losing our recently-found democracies during the last century. During a time of terrible economic troubles, some nations followed leaders who spoke to prejudice and fear and were allowed too much power.

Especially in a time of fear and confusion, as with Covid-19, we also may be tempted to give in to rumors and plays for power by a selfish few.

Read carefully and wisely. Vote at every opportunity. Support traditional institutions: family, small businesses, local newspapers. Care for your neighbors. Ignore those who would use these times to fan flames of racism or hatred.