I don’t think people understand
just how much our measurement systems
change our reality
Like, in America,
6 feet is the
standard “attractive height”
for considering someone tall
on dating apps, right?
Well, in metric countries,
it’s 180 cm,
which is a little below 5’11”
That’s only the case
because we psychologically
care so much about round numbers
Studies show that
when a number isn’t round,
people tend to view it more negatively,
because they’re comparing it
to a more satisfying ideal
And that means
that the units we use
not only affect our worldview,
but also change how we behave
Why do you think everybody
aims for 10,000 steps a day?
Why do you think athletes
run either the 1600m or the one mile,
even though one mile
is really 1609 meters?
Marketers, of course,
use this to their advantage
Prices famously end in 99 cents
because you subconsciously
associate that with being cheaper,
while store checkouts
ask you to round up
because you’re more likely
to donate if it creates
a round number
And maybe the craziest
example of this is how
numbers are used in medicine
Doctors will prescribe
doses of either 5 mg or 10 mg,
even if the best dosage
for your body
is really 8.5 mg
Vaccines that are 91% effective
will actually be trusted more
if they’re marketed as
90% effective,
just so people don’t compare it
to that 100% ideal,
because that’s what we do
We care about round numbers