The economic narrative keeps getting embellished until confidence somehow bounces back. Official metrics paint one picture, street-level reality tells another—and the disconnect only widens. When institutions keep smoothing over the rough edges of inflation data, employment figures, and growth projections, retail investors catch on fast. They start second-guessing every number, every forecast. The psychology flips: trust erodes, spending drops, and suddenly the pessimism becomes self-fulfilling. It's a vicious loop—manipulate the message to prop up morale, watch morale tank anyway when people realize the story doesn't match what they're actually experiencing. Crypto markets track this sentiment closely. When traditional finance credibility cracks, people search for alternatives. Whether that's digital assets or simply pulling back from risk entirely depends on which way the psychology swings next.