Most things in life require some sort of technique or procedure which can be done poorly or can be done more well (less wastefully?) These can be objective met

Most things in life require some sort of technique or procedure which can be done poorly or can be done more well (less wastefully?) These can be objective metrics. They can be measuring pretty much anything you want, and you usually find a way to get better at it. I think finding the right things to measure is the most challenging part, almost because of the fact that you can usually 'game the system'. But to deny merit completely or find it in contempt is in my unearned opinion, a fear response in denial of the massive amount of skill a small but influential number of people develop in all sorts of endeavors.