Stara Drukarnia — one of the buildings in Łódź that continues despite the changes, a witness of history, urban, demographic and cultural changes — perfectly understands that what it seems, often different from of what is in reality.
Because don't we often hear that Łódź “has very high unemployment”, that Bałuty are dangerous or that the city loses its meaning as a place to live? These are the narratives that circulate in the media and in the conversations of the inhabitants. And the facts, as it happens, tend to be more nuanced.
In May 2025 unemployment rate in Łódź was 4.8%, which is lower than the national average (5.2%). Lodz. Deputy Director of the District Labour Office in Łódź reported that unemployment in the city was 4,4% — which gives Łódź an advantage over the whole of Poland in this statistic. Radio Lodz
At the same time, police statistics from the Łódź Voivodeship show that in 2024 there were registered 2,401 fewer crimes than in 2023 — suggesting that crime is falling. Łódź Police+2Radio Łódź+2
And one more small example: in Bałuty, a district often described as dangerous, the number of robberies in the first months of 2025 fell from 56 to 33. filmowalodz.pl
These are just a few pieces of data — but they show that the narratives about the city, about threats, about unemployment, that we repeat without reflection, can only be part of a larger story. Each of us lives in a bubble of our beliefs — filtered by media, opinions, emotions.
That's why today — on the blog Stara Drukarnia — we want to write about it, how not to succumb to propaganda, misinformation and random opinionswhich have no coverage in the facts. And as a starting point, we will use a book that changes the way we look at the world — Factfulness Hans Rosling.
Flooded with information
Every day we are inundated with news — dramas, crises, disasters. It is natural that these emotions are firmly remembered and shape our picture of the world, but do they not by chance overshadow the facts? In Factfulness. 10 reasons why we're wrong about the world — and why it's better than we think Hans Rosling (with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund) shows that our “truth” can be an illusion — and numbers often tell a very different story.
Learn the most important theses, captured in the book — and reflections that can help you, as an information consumer, look at the world and information in a completely different way.
Understanding Your Own Bubble: Perception vs. Data
Hans Rosling points out that we all live in their information bubbles. Media, conversations with family and friends, and even social media activity — all this filters reality in such a way that we see the world through the prism of dramas, scandals and negative events. Our mind naturally turns on this information: the “instinct of negativity” makes emotional or frightening events sink into our memory and become the basis for general conclusions about the world.
The effect? The belief that “the world is getting worse” or that “everywhere is dangerous”, although the data show something completely different.
Let's look at the local example: in Łódź we often hear that unemployment is high, crime is increasing, and life in the city is becoming more and more difficult. Meanwhile, the numbers say otherwise: the unemployment rate fell in May 2025 to 4,8%, which is below the national average, and the number of crimes in the entire Łódź Voivodeship decreased by 2,401 cases in a year. Statistics also show that young people in the city do better on exams than in many other places in the country.
This is the difference between Perception and Data is the crux of the problem. Our experiences and media filter information in such a way that disasters and dramas seem the norm. Data, even when publicly available, is easily overlooked or downplayed.
Rosling encourages look at the numbers broadly and long-term, instead of focusing on individual events. For example, the decrease in crime in Łódź in a few years does not make such an impression in the headlines as one high-profile robbery. And yet this is trend and context tell the truth about the changes in the city and the world.
Understanding your bubble requires Conscious distance, checking data and challenging immediate beliefs. This does not mean ignoring problems, but giving voice to facts, not just emotions and opinions.
Four income levels instead of “rich vs poor”
One of the key messages Factfulness is abandoning the simplified division of the world into rich and poor. Many discussions of global development are based on this pattern: “developed countries versus developing countries.” Unfortunately, such a division is confusing and obscures the real picture of the world.
Hans Rosling suggests instead Four levels of income, which show that most people live in intermediate conditions—not in extreme poverty, but not in luxury. This division looks something like this:
Level 1 extreme poverty, such as lack of permanent access to food and basic health care.
Level 2 — poverty, but with the basic opportunity to buy food and basic services.
Level 3 — stable income, access to education, housing and health services.
Level 4 - wealth, free access to luxury goods and global markets.
With this model, it is easier to see Progress where it really takes place. For example, when a country jumps from level 1 to level 2, it means a real improvement in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people — a change that would not be noticed at all in the “rich vs. poor” scheme.
The same applies to local observations: thinking about Łódź, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparisons “here is rich, there poor”, without noticing that most of the inhabitants live in conditions of moderate stability. Data on falling unemployment and rising wages show that most people in Łódź are on level 3It is a place of real progress and stability.
Rosling teaches that looking at the world through the prism of intermediate income levels allows us not only to better understand global development, but also to avoid the mistaken effect of the “all poor versus few rich” gap. Thanks to this, we can see changes and successes where really important progress is happening every day.
10 instincts that deceive us
The Gap Instinct We divide the world into black and white categories, ignoring the intermediate majority. Example: we think that Łódź is only “safe” or “dangerous” neighborhoods, without realizing that most of the inhabitants live in normal, calm conditions.
The instinct of negativity We focus on bad news and dramatic events that make the world seem worse than it really is. Although one high-profile robbery arouses emotions, statistics show a decrease in crime in Łódź.
Straight Line Instinct — we assume that current trends will continue indefinitely, without taking into account turning points. Example: the falling unemployment in Łódź may seem random, but it is the result of long-term changes and investments.
Instinct of fear dramatic and extreme events attract attention more than everyday reality, which distorts the picture of safety and danger.
The Blaming/One Cause Instinct “We are looking for a single culprit of the problem, rather than analyzing a complex system. In Łódź, it is easy to say “because the authorities do not care”, without taking into account social, police and economic activities.
Instinct of urgency — the need for immediate action often leads to rash decisions and over-interpretation of data.
Instinct of cultural divergence We succumb to stereotypes, assuming that cultural and economic differences are more dramatic than they actually are. In the local context: we think that the district of Bałuta is a rather dangerous place, statistics show a decrease in crime.
The instinct of greatness — large numbers seem frightening, even if proportions or context mitigate them. Example: 25,886 crimes in the Łódź Voivodeship is a large number. When viewed in a comparative context with other regions of Poland, in terms of the number of inhabitants, it gives an indicator below the national average.
Generalization instinct Based on a single group or region, we draw conclusions about the entire population.
Instinct to overlook probability We ignore statistical probability and look for sensation. Example: individual incidents can be publicized in the media, although the real risk is much smaller than we think.
Conclusion: all these instincts operate on both a global and a local scale. Conscious recognition of them allows Look at the data, not the emotions, and see progress where it actually happens.
Trends that often escape attention
Hans Rosling in Factfulness It shows that the world is improving in many dimensions - albeit quietly and not dramatically. These changes tend to be invisible because our eyes and the media catch dramas, not steady progress.
Extreme poverty falls Fewer and fewer people live in conditions of extreme poverty. In 1966, nearly half of humanity lived in extreme poverty, today it is less than 10%.
Child mortality is decreasing Child mortality rates are falling worldwide, meaning millions of children have the chance to grow up in better conditions
Access to education and health care is increasing More and more people are getting an education and health care systems are reaching more people.
The number of people living in extreme poverty is much less than we often think This shows that the perception of global problems is often exaggerated.
The same is true in the local context. When we look at the data for Łódź — falling unemployment, decreasing crime, improving educational outcomes — we will see The Difference Between Reality and Media Headlines. These trends are often invisible because they do not generate a sensation, but they have a real impact on the lives of residents.
How to Read Messages Consciously
Factfulness It's not just a set of facts and statistics, it's a practical guide for anyone who wants to be an attentive receiver of information. Rosling encourages a few simple but effective rules:
Always ask about the data source — where does the information come from, what period it covers, whether it is representative.
Do not believe dramas without verification Headlines often exaggerate, and individual events do not reflect trends.
Look at multi-year trends, not single years The long-term perspective shows the true direction of change.
Take into account the influence of cognitive instincts — negativity, straight line, urgency and others that can distort perception.
Trust the numbers, but interpret them carefully Data doesn't lie, but requires context, comparisons, and healthy skepticism.
With these rules, we can Distinguish facts from evaluation, to see positive changes that we often do not notice, and to avoid erroneous conclusions based on fear or emotion.
summary
In an age of information overload, our perception of the world easily drifts to extremes — because emotions, dramas and simplifications are louder than balance. Factfulness reminds us: Trust numbers, not beliefs. Your “truth” — strong as it may not be — is not necessarily the objective one.
If you believe that you better understand the world, analyze data and look behind the headlines — read Factfulness.
