Who decides what we measure?

Measurement is unquestionably a tool of control and, as a result, has been used throughout history to manipulate, persecute, and oppress. To measure something, after all, is to impose limits on the world: to say this far but no further. It means fitting reality into categories that can never capture its full complexity.

For when we try to measure some particular aspect of the world, we are inevitably making a choice that reflects our biases and desires.

Measurement is a tool that reinforces what we find important in life, what we think is worth paying attention to. The question, then, of who gets to make those choices is of the utmost importance.

Just started reading Beyond Measure.