Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.

Summary

This quote suggests that in recent years, Western societies have often made the mistake of discarding effective methods and ideas in favor of more appealing ones, without considering their practicality or success. It implies that there has been a tendency to prioritize ideas that sound good or politically correct over those that have proven to be effective or beneficial. The quote criticizes a trend of favoring superficial appeal over genuine effectiveness in decision-making and social progress.