These days, whenever I pause to take a broader look at the world, it appears as though everything is in a state of collapse. With the average cost of living increasing every day, house pricing going through the roof, and poverty rates reaching an almost record level, it almost looks as if we are not living in a modern society at all. And yet, we keep hearing people tell us that we must strive for equality and be kind to one another, when the average person can’t even aford to take care of himself. Despite being able to go on for ages about how modern society seems to be taking a step back instead of moving towards a utopian reality we sometimes read about, I want to focus on a topic that keeps surfacing and how it is discussed by the media (at least in the country I live in): inflation.

Whenever I hear about the topic of inflation, I already expect to see some nice charts showing how it is rising almost uncontrollably. The fact that this is happening is well acknowledged by the media (as it should be!), but the way information is presented leaves something to be desired. Most media sources present an average inflation increase year over year. In Portugal (the country I live in), this number was around 7.8% for the year of 2022 and 4,3% for 2023 (official data available here). However, showing average inflation numbers says nothing of our daily lives were affected.

For the sake of making my point very clear, I came up with a very simple fictional example. Let us consider I bought two very different products in the year of 2022. One of them is a deck of cards, which I bought for the pricely sum of 2 euros and 50 cents. The other is half a kilo of chicken meat, which I bought for 2 euros and 75 cents. If I were to buy the same deck of cards in 2023 it would cost me around 2 euros and 60 cents (and increase in 4%), whereas the meat would now cost me 3 euros and 10 cents (an increase of 12%). If I where to calculate an average of how much these two products have increased from 2022 to 2023, I would come up with a value of 8%. So for these two products I paid on average 8% more in 2023 than I would have in 2022.

Do you see a problem here? On the one hand, I could just not buy the deck of cards. Since it has increased in price and it is not an essential item in my life, it is something I can easily give up. On the other hand, humans need food to live (maybe some of you superhumans out there could eat the deck of cards, but I just don’t have that ability). Saying that the two products I bough have increased in price by 8% is not a lie, but it does not represent the impact inflation has on most people. Most people don’t care how much the deck of cards has increased, as it is not an essential item. Food on the other hand is very much essential. You need food to walk, do your daily chores, and, ultimately, to work! This is something noone should ignore.

So I think it is pretty safe to say that averages can illude you into not seeing the full picture. The data is misleading to the point that it does not reflect the true reality we are living. Even if you get an anual sallary bump to keep up with inflation, it will not reflect what you are actually spending in your daily life. The end result is a general deterioration of the world’s economy, which results from the decrease in purchasing power. Of course, this is from a consumer’s perspective. Banks, on the other hand, are largely benefiting from inflation.

In a world purportedly committed to equal rights and justice, the current state of life looks deeply disconcerting. Rather than embodying the principles of transparency and integrity, it resembles the influence of a capitalist society that prioritizes power over transparency. When growing up, we were always told to value honesty. I guess these days, honesty shouldn’t be our only concern, but rather dealing with the manipulation that goes on underneeth our very feet.

Not everything in the world is negative. I find particular excitement in recent advancements in renewable technology (Hydrogen being the most interesting one for me). They inspire hope for the future and help me see beyond the daily storm of negativity. However, it is crucial that we approach information critically and maintain an open mind, rather than passively accepting what we’re told. As human beings, it is time we stop wasting time with such irrelevant mind games and start thinking about how we can preserve the world we inhabit.

Want to keep reading?

I know that this article may have a very negative tone. It is said that we humans have a negativity bias. Therefore, I find it important that you also read other article and explore what other people are saying about the world. Here are some relevant ones I found while researching this topic (they are more positive than you might expect):

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