We could call it something like GDP and we can point to it anytime anyone says anything about anything, because we have taken the entire human race and all of its myriad components and put it inside that number. Nothing matters except the GDP number.
I'm so smart honestly I'm surprised nobody has done this yet already it's such a good idea. I can prove I'm smart because GDP goes up so that means I'm smart
In 2013, the United States' Bureau of Economic Analysis changed the methodology for how GDP was calculated. R&D and intellectual property were reclassified as investments rather than costs, which increased the reported size of US GDP. Countries that had more high-tech and creative industries would see a boost in GDP while countries known for manufacturing would not see such a large increase. This lead to a perception that the U.S. economy is growing faster or is larger compared to countries like China.