Sara Rubenstein from Carrollwood Day School in the USA shares how Rutger Bregman's 'Humankind, a Hopeful History' inspired her to maintain optimism and idealism during the pandemic. She discusses how Bregman's call to question negativity bias and employ critical thinking skills can help us believe in the innate goodness of humanity, and encourages us to embrace optimism, courage, and realism in our pursuit of true inquiry and generosity.