What to trust nowadays?

I do not want to sound pessimistic or negative in my approach, but lately I started to trust less and less the products and services I am using.

It all started when I found myself paying hidden costs for a worldwide known telecommunications company. Being one of the big players in the industry, obviously I trusted it. That until I noticed I was paying monthly at least 50€ extra for services I was not even aware they existed. I called a few days in a row the customer service to find a solution to this and I was repeatedly told I activated those services myself and that they cannot do anything about it. This pissed me off so much that I switched providers and I tell you why.

1. The services were about 3rd parties’ payments that my telephone provider activated on my phone themselves without asking for my permission or confirmation.
2. The customer service made me feel like an idiot for blaming me for having this issue… apparently, they tried to convince me they couldn’t disactivate it even though they activated it in the first place.
3. They were not even trying to help me with my issue; hence I was not really receiving any customer service, nor clear explanation on what is happening.

This is just one reason I am doubtful about products and services. It is not a secret anymore that even associations and institutions are doing shady activities due to their sponsorship plans. Don’t want to give names of corrupted institutions or associations because I don’t wish to destroy anybody’s reputation, but I believe that you, my reader, are intelligent enough to understand what I am writing here. Basically, companies are sponsoring associations and institutions so that these protective bodies for us (humans) can undergo their activities in research and innovation. In return, these associations and institutions must give something to the sponsors, otherwise there is no deal nor any financial benefits for either party. For example (Disclaimer: imaginative situation, not a real live situation), you should not be puzzled if McDonald’s is one of the main sponsors for a heart disease related association. Get the link between the two? The products from McDonald’s are clearly not indicated for heart disease patients due to the unhealthy fats present in their products. However, by sponsoring the heart disease association, they will need a return on investment, therefore the association has the due to promote somehow, discreetly McDonald’s. You know – Money makes the world go around.

Since money is all that matters in everything – why don’t just stop for a second and doubt whether the big corporations, governments and legal institutions are doing the right or wrong actions? All the aforementioned entities are actually driven by growth, hence MONEY – and to a lesser degree the social factor – that’s why these same entities are destroying our planet, by deforestations so that wood production can be made, sold and achieve growth, that’s why there is still hunger and almost no drinkable water in Africa – this is a cost, not a ROI! However, if these entities would think on a long run, they could find amazing opportunities by making good and organic decisions: For example, by helping the poor ones, they can identify potential geniuses that might discover something unimaginable at this point in time, or if they protect the nature, we will be healthier, happier and more productive. Unfortunately, people by nature are greedy and most of the time, they think in a short time alongside self-interest. Of course, corporations won’t back down from the economical battle, they are all highly competitive and aggressive and they all aim for the first place in the rankings in their industries. Why not? Nothing wrong with that! Yet, most actions, activities and decision bring growth at the cost of other people’s misfortune and most of all, at the cost of our hosting planet! On a positive note in this uber negative post, I would like to mention that there is the B Corp that is taking the initiative to moderate business activities by bringing the importance of the social factor to the table. There are already some well-known corporations working towards more sustainable business practices that would have tremendous outcome on a long term.

From all the species inhabiting Earth, the humans are the ones damaging the planet the most. Moreover, humans claim proprietorship of anything on this planet! Animal and plants instead are positively contributing to the ecosystem by planting seeds, cleaning the air, water and ground… and we humans are making fools out of them by destroying their homes and making everything dirtier and more polluted. Who’s the fool here?

You should be grateful you have access to information and are able to create an opinion of your own, without being fooled and manipulated by media and large entities so that they can enrich more while you stay in poverty. It is time for change and change is coming from all directions! Raise your voice and let’s make a better place for all of us, plants, animals and humans – before it is too late!