History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes.

What gets recorded is mostly what went wrong. Wars, betrayals and collapses leave documents behind, while an ordinary decent life leaves almost nothing, so the record tilts heavily towards damage and gives a false impression of the balance. That does not make the crimes less real, but it does mean the picture is incomplete in a particular direction. Most of what has ever happened was quiet and went unwritten.

When the news or a long view of the past leaves you convinced people are mostly awful, remember what the record is selecting for. Then look at the actual day around you and count what is going right in it.