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Archive for September 19th, 2008

Psychological Recession

I’m not one to head into a weekend with a downer of a post, but this article from CNNMoney.com is fascinating.  The author is explaining how the US economy is not in a recession.  The twists begin early with this stat:

After all, most of the CFOs questioned in a recent poll agree that the U.S. is in a recession; among the general public, 76% said the U.S. was in a recession six months ago, and other polling suggests most people believe things have grown worse since then.

I have seen this belief firsthand which always catches me off-guard.  I have even heard people talking of another depression.  I suppose it could be possible, but this strikes me as hyperbole.

But there is an answer:

A more profound reason that people believe we are in a recession can’t be found in the GDP tables at all. It’s in their minds, what psychologist and author Judith M. Bardwick calls the psychological recession – “an emotional state in which people feel extremely vulnerable and afraid for their futures.”

Read the entire thing – it may cheer you up.