The Daily

'The Interview': Rebecca Solnit Says the Left's Next Hero Is Already Here

254 snips
Mar 7, 2026
Rebecca Solnit, writer, historian and activist known for Hope in the Dark, offers a long-view take on change. She talks about how uncertainty can spark creativity. She urges remembering past gains to spot slow progress. She discusses climate urgency, truth-telling about power, and why collective action beats lone-hero myths.
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ADVICE

Think In Decades To Counter Despair

  • Broaden your timeframes to see change; think in decades and centuries, not just months.
  • Solnit recommends using historical perspective to counter despair and recognize long-term gains like civil rights and feminism.
INSIGHT

The Future Is Evitable Not Inevitable

  • The future is not predetermined; it is evitable and shaped by present choices.
  • Solnit challenges fatalism, arguing that asserting inevitability abandons real power to make different futures now.
INSIGHT

How Story Bias Hides Incremental Gains

  • Humans pay more attention to dramatic harms than steady improvements because stories need conflict.
  • Solnit notes energy transition is incremental and nerdy, so people often miss how renewables quietly change possibilities.
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