Agreed, but I think the issue is the fact the measure becomes a target to begin with. We've structured so many aspects in society to be unforgiving of failure to meet metrics and thrust hypercompetitiveness upon everyone as an almost direct darwinistic mechanism of survival. Because of this, metrics become targets and systems are gamed as a survival mechanism.
The argument for all of these metrics and push for competition is that it pushes out the lazy and leeches of society. What it really does is draws out the clever and lazy or clever leeches of society who are proficient at gaming systems and metrics, all while making plenty of proficient and productive peoples' lives more difficult and miserable.
It also incentivizes everyone to focus more on manipulating systems and target metrics than doing what they're supposed to do. Metrics rule my life so why bother doing anything that doesn't focus on the metrics? Real successes outside the metrics go unrewarded.
When failure is acceptable, metrics often don't become targets they become guidelines to help you achieve success. When I go to the gym, lifting a certain weight and performing a certain number of repetitions can be use to quantify success and improvement. I can cheat and lie to myself: perform a repetition incorrectly that makes it easier or add support and so forth. Ultimately though, gaming these metrics I know I'm only cheating myself. I may not see improvements and it may be discouraging but I know with perseverance, I have a strong chance of improvement. It works because I have no ulterior motivation that makes me want or need to game the metrics and am willing to accept my failures and success alike.
The argument for all of these metrics and push for competition is that it pushes out the lazy and leeches of society. What it really does is draws out the clever and lazy or clever leeches of society who are proficient at gaming systems and metrics, all while making plenty of proficient and productive peoples' lives more difficult and miserable.
It also incentivizes everyone to focus more on manipulating systems and target metrics than doing what they're supposed to do. Metrics rule my life so why bother doing anything that doesn't focus on the metrics? Real successes outside the metrics go unrewarded.
When failure is acceptable, metrics often don't become targets they become guidelines to help you achieve success. When I go to the gym, lifting a certain weight and performing a certain number of repetitions can be use to quantify success and improvement. I can cheat and lie to myself: perform a repetition incorrectly that makes it easier or add support and so forth. Ultimately though, gaming these metrics I know I'm only cheating myself. I may not see improvements and it may be discouraging but I know with perseverance, I have a strong chance of improvement. It works because I have no ulterior motivation that makes me want or need to game the metrics and am willing to accept my failures and success alike.