And alarmist politicians and doomster academics may, in pointing to the state of decay, miss a nation's continuing strengths and attractions, which have to be weighed against its problems and worries.
The combination of rising inflation and slowing growth may bear a worrying resemblance to the stagflationary 1970s, but there has been a sea-change in advanced economies since then.
Fears of tightness in the products markets bolstered the crude oil with Gasoil in Europe leading the way breeching stellar levels over $1,200 dollars per tonne.
There's always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated race to the finish line, whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or lucrative career.
While most New Zealanders have said they support protecting their island's native species and the killing of the predators in uninhabited areas, there are concerns about spreading poison around.