We live in a world that thrives on immediacy. Every scroll, click, and notification gives us a quick hit of dopamine — the brain’s reward chemical. And while technology has connected us in incredible ways, it’s also rewired our brains for short-term gratification. The result? A generation of investors and consumers increasingly falling victim to recency bias — the tendency to give disproportionate weight to recent events when making decisions about the future.

The fact that a government shutdown can slow down the entire U.S. economy tells you everything you need to know about how oversized Washington has become. We’ve reached a point where the federal government isn’t just a referee in the economy — it’s one of the largest players on the field. Federal spending now makes up nearly one-quarter of U.S. GDP, and millions of Americans depend on it for paychecks, subsidies, or benefits.

If you want to make more money — whether as an employee, entrepreneur, or investor — you have to think like a capitalist. You have to learn how to quantify your worth.