Where are we headed?

Faced with the data you’re about to see, what attitude should we take?
Sound the alarm, hit the panic button, just let things ride, or simply give up?

First, the notion of truth

Let’s begin with the first finding from the recent Humanity Index survey conducted among Quebecers. Nearly three out of four (71%) admit it’s becoming harder and harder to believe what they see, read, or hear. The consequence is clear: this strong majority rates both society’s level of humanity (58.0 vs. 61.0) and their own personal sense of humanity lower than before.

Next, the notion of trust

More than two-thirds of Quebecers (67%) also admit that their trust in institutions — governments, political parties, the media, and unions — is steadily eroding.
That erosion has a direct impact on how people view our collective humanity, with the score dropping from 65.0 to 58.0 among those who share that sentiment.

Finally, the notions of democracy and humanity

Truth is the fuel of trust.
Trust is the fuel of democracy.
And democracy is the fuel of humanity.
It’s that simple. Without trust, there’s no hope.
Goodbye democracy. Goodbye humanity.
At least, the kind we still dream of.

To add another layer

The Humanity Index measures how 14 different dimensions influence and shape our sense of humanity. In terms of influence, democracy ranks second, and truth (or veracity) comes in fourth. That tells us how central these two dimensions are to how we see ourselves as human.
But when it comes to strength — how good we believe we actually are — democracy drops two spots to fourth place. Not ideal, but still decent.
Truth, however, plummets from fourth to tenth. And that’s where the real concern lies.

In plain language, as a society, we rate ourselves far lower on what we believe matters most to our humanity.
So, back to the question at the start: Where are we headed?

Better to face the issue now than later.
Restoring trust costs nothing — but it demands a rare quality: courage.
It should be the top priority of all priorities. Because without trust…