Community service Quote by Rutger Bregman
““What we need is a “dashboard” complete with an array of indicators to track the things that make life worthwhile – money and growth, obviously, but also community service, jobs, knowledge, social cohesion. And, of course, the scarcest good of all: time. “But such a dashboard couldn’t possibly be objective,” you might counter. True. But there’s no such thing as a neutral metric. Behind every statistic is a certain set of assumptions and prejudices. What’s more, those figures – and their assumptions – guide our actions. That’s true of GDP but equally true of the Human Development and Happy Planet indices. And it’s precisely because we need to change our actions that we need new figures to guide us.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: TED Talk “What’s the point of measuring progress?” 2019
The quote argues that measuring societal wellbeing requires multiple metrics beyond GDP, acknowledging inherent biases but emphasizing their role in shaping policy.
In simple terms: We need many metrics to guide actions, even if they aren’t neutral.
Key Takeaway
Create and use diverse indicators to inform decisions.
Themes
wellbeing
metrics
policy
bias
time
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
optimistic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- government planning
- personal goal setting
- nonprofit evaluation
- urban development
- education reform
Key Concepts
human development
GDP
measurement
assumptions
influence
Questions to Reflect On
- What values should be prioritized in a wellbeing dashboard?
- How can we ensure metrics remain transparent?
A Different Perspective
Metrics can be manipulated to serve political agendas, reducing trust.
