Capitalism is like an RPG game

In many RPG games, when you level up, it feels good. You see your stats increase, your damage output and damage resistance go up, all the numbers get bigger. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. But then, you are made to face tougher enemies which completely cancel out the progress you've made. As a player you're locked into a gameplay loop that acts like a treadmill that keeps you struggling all the time while providing an illusion of progress.

Inflation and "pay raises" are doing exactly the same thing. When you get a pay raise, you feel like you've progressed because you make more money than you used to when you first started. But if you take inflation into account, you've never really progressed at all. For most, their struggle only got even harder even.