When numbers lie

Hey there,

Jake here.

Today's edition is about how the vibes can be bad when the numbers are good.

You know how you hear the economy is doing well yet consumer confidence is in the toilet? (At least this is the case in America at the time I'm writing this.)

If GDP is solid and the stock market's back on the uptick, how can everyday people be so down?

The answer is simple: We're talking about two different measures for two different classes of people. What's good for the highest rungs of society isn't always good for those at the bottom.

The same is true for companies.

How can morale of the workers be in the dumps when profits are at record highs?

It's quite simple: The workers aren't motivated by the profit margin because they don't see the benefits of the profit margin. All the workers know is how hard they must work to maintain or increase that profit margin, their reward for doing so being little more than keeping their jobs, and maybe a cost-of-living raise if they're lucky.

The elites of society and the executive class can't understand why anyone else would feel differently for the same reason—they're disconnected. They have the option of talking to those 'under' them while everyday people rarely have the luxury of initiating a meaningful conversation with those 'above' them.

Yet here we are. And as long as we stay here, one thing will be obvious: We're here because those with the power to improve the system can't be bothered to do so.

<3

Jake