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Money
(n.)
The ongoing suspicion, fueled by dynamic pricing, that there was always a better deal than the one you got.
Nothing feeds dealusion like refreshing the airline app the day after booking, hoping the price went up just so you can stop wondering if you overpaid.
Does it ring true?
From the future, or already here?
Deal + delusion. The fixed and universal price tag might end up being a 150-year historical anomaly. Now, the prices you pay are calculated by algorithms you don’t see and certainly can’t haggle with. The delusion is that you’ll ever know if the “deal” you got was a good one.
Future Words: A Non-Obvious Glossary of Terms That Don’t Exist (But Soon Will) collects all 100, each with its example sentence and coinage notes, from the bestselling authors of The Future Normal. Hardcover, October 20, 2026.