This morning, while making my coffee, I became curious about the origins of Peruvian coffee and how it's traded today. I discovered that the history of coffee in Peru began around the 18th century, when it arrived from other South American countries and found a favorable climate to take root. Its cultivation took off when it reached regions like Chanchamayo and Satipo, where the geography, humidity, and altitude offered ideal conditions for its growth. Furthermore, different varieties developed based on the microclimates of Peru.
Peruvian coffee is not only becoming a product for local consumption, but is also projected onto the global market. The figures are interesting; for example, in 2025, sales exceeded US$1.901 billion, reaching 52 markets, with the main destinations being the United States, Germany, Belgium, and Canada.
Okay, let's get to the topic of this post. The reader may have recently come across the term "cognitive dissonance," and I've heard it applied to people who are somewhat ignorant about a subject, or who, due to their life experiences, have a bias or prejudice towards it.
In a world where young people are bombarded with topics like "think outside the box" or "get out of your comfort zone" or "improve your life using the ikigai diagram," it is revealing that the importance of the value of truth, ethics, and basic moral principles, which should be an important, if not fundamental, part of human endeavor, is omitted.
It's true that our perception of things is conditioned by where we were born, our family, our environment, culture, religion, work, and so on. But since we don't all share these same contexts, we live in a society where we interact with people who have perspectives similar to, different from, or even antagonistic to our own. Moving, changing jobs, traveling to other parts of the world, and meeting people who think differently helps broaden our view of reality, making us more tolerant and helping us accept that we don't necessarily "own the truth.".
And what happens if you have the privilege of having a university degree, a master's degree, studies abroad, perhaps even a PhD, especially in science or technology? Well, the responsibility is greater, because you're supposed to have more tools to have a more objective view of things. Lately, I've noticed that this isn't the case, especially among highly renowned and educated people, who often seem uncomfortable when reality doesn't conform to their "models" or "theories.".
I think we should always have the humility to accept that we won't always be right, and even if mathematical models or data models "apparently" support our position, ultimately it's human beings, with their biases and prejudices, who generate the prompts for the algorithm. Otherwise, you might receive a harsh slap that brings you back to reality.
I hope this reflection helps you, and I encourage you to share it and leave your comments. See you soon.