Death by Numbers

Numbers are powerful things.  They allow for you to compare things easily, and talk about how something is a specific amount more than something else.  We use them all over the place.  To keep track of how much we earn and spend.  To keep track of the days, hours, minutes, and seconds of our lives.  We measure how much people know or have learned using GPAs and test scores.  We can even talk about how strong or fast one person is compared to another using them.

I was over at a friends house a few weeks ago.  He told me that he stopped counting.  Stopped counting!  What does it mean?  And why would you do it?  He says that he has tried to stop using numbers in his daily life as much as possible.  Just live life.  He might be on to something.

Every experience a person might have has been packaged up, quantitatized, and monatized.  Rather it be from having a pleasant meal, to entertainment, even to have someone take that personal touch and listen to you.  All of it can be bought, sold, and traded like so many thing a bobs.

And it become infectious.  Now instead of just enjoying the vegetables from our gardens we start to think about how much these would have cost at the grocery store.  Instead of enjoying that meal made by our loved ones, we calculate how much better and cheaper it was than getting it from a restaurant.

Even a blog like this.  Perhaps it would be best to have only one person read this that I could connect with.  Instead of having hundreds of strangers that I will never interact with on any meaningful way.

Numbers are a powerful tool.  Like any tool, they should be use with great care.

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