5 ms·

People just hate change source: am people Not a blanket statement to say all change is good tho

m463 4y ago
I've corroborated this by reading the fictional book Don Quixote https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Don_Quijote_Illustration_by_Gustave_Dore_VII.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Don_Quij...
werdnapk 4y ago
I find Americans really don't like change. Still using a penny, still using dollar bills, not using the metric system, still using Fahrenheit.
- crazygringo 4y ago
  > really don't like change > Still using a penny Sorry, too easy... :)
- Aloha 4y ago
  Dislike of change is a worldwide constant, like gravity. Also, all measurement systems are functionally arbitrary - be it the kings foot, a rod in a library, or some mathematical constant - all are arbitrary, ours is just a little less rational and certainly less relational than others. Fahrenheit is just fine however thank you. (My ideal system would be a zero to 200 system, water would freeze at zero and boil at 200, gives you the best of both worlds, and less need for half degrees in measuring the weather - or other human centric temperatures.) The US government is an original signer of the Metric Treaty, and if you deal with the federal government you're often supplying measurements in meters and weight in kilograms. The military is metric too. Just not so much anything else. Even bolts on our cars are metric, at least mostly. Every car I've had from MY1986 on has been more metric than SAE. In fairness however, we're not the only English speaking country using miles still. For that matter, aviation (in most of the world) still uses feet too - inventors privilege I suppose. ;-) Most Americans are aware of the metric system and have a vague idea of how long a meter is for example, we also know the 0 is freezing in Celsius. I don't think the costs of changing the places we use customary units would pay for the benefits, our soda cans even are usually clearly labeled at 355ml. I agree we should get rid of the penny, and probably dollar bills, but for a bunch of historical reasons americans don't like dollar coins. (Mostly the size we picked is too close to the quarter)
  - mulmen 4y ago
    Anyone involved with chemistry uses the metric system. As does anyone who plays soccer. It's everywhere. Go look at any item in your pantry, metric units will be printed on it.
    - laurencerowe 4y ago
      The metric system is great but measurements in football (aka soccer) pitches are more naturally expressed in yards than metres given its historical standardisation in Britain. I only played during PE lessons but don’t recall anyone ever referring to measurements during play. Just “the box” or the “halfway line”. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pitch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pitch
    - Aloha 4y ago
      Yeah, that was largely my point, everyone who complains about america not being metric has not been to the store, I think we're around as metrified at the UK, the one difference is we still use Fahrenheit, and anything sold bulk measure is sold in pounds - packaged goods have Metric on them either because of a legal requirement, or because of bleedover from Canada and Mexico, most store scales can do KG or Pounds - but are set to Pounds.
      - mulmen 4y ago
        I'm not convinced re: cross-border sales. When Canada was on the imperial system they were on the actual Imperial system. The one the British adopted in 1826. That's post-revolution so the US was on the US customary system which evolved alongside the Metric system and for similar reasons. This means that gallons were different sizes. Today Canada sells milk in bags, I'm not sure that's even available in the US. Cars in Canada have different gauge clusters to support primary-kph. There are probably additional differences in packaging. Does Canada use the same nutrition facts label? I would believe that there's some standardization from NAFTA and similar agreements with our northern (and southern) neighbors. But I think Canada's usage of the Metric (and Imperial) systems has more to do with being part of the commonwealth and less to do with the US being nearby.
- mulmen 4y ago
  Americans use the metric system every day. And what's wrong with a penny? Decimal currency has to retain a fundamental unit or there are some amounts that can't be created.
  - b112 4y ago
    I don't have a horse in this race, but I think what the commenter meant was, some places don't use the penny any more. In Canada, the penny is gone. It was too expensive to keep (cost of producing them is just silly, for their value of 1 cent.). So prices are just rounded when using cash: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/phasing-penny.html https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canad... In as the penny was effectively worthless even a decade ago (when this was done), it just makes sense. I can't think of a single person, or retailer, who cared. Most approved of it. So, that's probably what someone meant by the penny comment. Whether the US should do the same? I don't know. I just know it worked out very easily, and well, in Canada.
    - mulmen 4y ago
      > cost of producing them is just silly, for their value of 1 cent. I don't understand this argument. A penny is not disposable. They last for decades, being used in thousands of transactions. It only has to generate more economic value in its life than it cost to produce. The face value is irrelevant. Dropping the penny just means you changed the resolution of your currency from 100ths to 20ths. Can I still run a credit card transaction for $1.17 in Canada? > I just know it worked out very easily, and well, in Canada. What benefits did Canada realize with this change?
      - b112 4y ago
        Read some of the info / stats here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(Canadian_coin)#Abolition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(Canadian_coin)#Abolitio... The real problem is that pennies are worth nothing, (1 cent has no real value for people), so people hoard them, or don't care if they are damaged/lost. Add to that, the cost of the metal is more than the face value, so illegal or not, people can buy them and profit by destroying them. Look at these stats: * A 2007 survey indicated that 37 percent of Canadians used pennies, but the government continued to produce about 816 million pennies per year, equal to 24 pennies per Canadian. * In 2011 the Royal Canadian Mint had minted 1.1 billion pennies Spending millions yearly, because people don't care, isn't sensible. And yes, electronic means to the penny, cash means rounding. Who cares? It all evens out in the end, and 2 cents is nothing, yet it saves tens of millions a year. Not to mention, counting all those pennies for no reason. You know how it worked for me? I'd get paid in cash, get a few pennies, and at end of day throw them on my dresser. Do you think I put them in my pocket, to count out next time? No. No one did. Because it isn't worth the energy or time. We'll probably phase out the nickle soon.
Aloha 4y ago
Change is awful, so is a lack of change. We should hope the balance wheel of progress is kept near centered and that we get needed change, but somewhat slowly.

m463 4y ago

I've corroborated this by reading the fictional book Don Quixote https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Don_Quijote_Illustration_by_Gustave_Dore_VII.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Don_Quij...

werdnapk 4y ago

I find Americans really don't like change. Still using a penny, still using dollar bills, not using the metric system, still using Fahrenheit.

crazygringo 4y ago
> really don't like change > Still using a penny Sorry, too easy... :)
Aloha 4y ago
Dislike of change is a worldwide constant, like gravity. Also, all measurement systems are functionally arbitrary - be it the kings foot, a rod in a library, or some mathematical constant - all are arbitrary, ours is just a little less rational and certainly less relational than others. Fahrenheit is just fine however thank you. (My ideal system would be a zero to 200 system, water would freeze at zero and boil at 200, gives you the best of both worlds, and less need for half degrees in measuring the weather - or other human centric temperatures.) The US government is an original signer of the Metric Treaty, and if you deal with the federal government you're often supplying measurements in meters and weight in kilograms. The military is metric too. Just not so much anything else. Even bolts on our cars are metric, at least mostly. Every car I've had from MY1986 on has been more metric than SAE. In fairness however, we're not the only English speaking country using miles still. For that matter, aviation (in most of the world) still uses feet too - inventors privilege I suppose. ;-) Most Americans are aware of the metric system and have a vague idea of how long a meter is for example, we also know the 0 is freezing in Celsius. I don't think the costs of changing the places we use customary units would pay for the benefits, our soda cans even are usually clearly labeled at 355ml. I agree we should get rid of the penny, and probably dollar bills, but for a bunch of historical reasons americans don't like dollar coins. (Mostly the size we picked is too close to the quarter)
- mulmen 4y ago
  Anyone involved with chemistry uses the metric system. As does anyone who plays soccer. It's everywhere. Go look at any item in your pantry, metric units will be printed on it.
  - laurencerowe 4y ago
    The metric system is great but measurements in football (aka soccer) pitches are more naturally expressed in yards than metres given its historical standardisation in Britain. I only played during PE lessons but don’t recall anyone ever referring to measurements during play. Just “the box” or the “halfway line”. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pitch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pitch
  - Aloha 4y ago
    Yeah, that was largely my point, everyone who complains about america not being metric has not been to the store, I think we're around as metrified at the UK, the one difference is we still use Fahrenheit, and anything sold bulk measure is sold in pounds - packaged goods have Metric on them either because of a legal requirement, or because of bleedover from Canada and Mexico, most store scales can do KG or Pounds - but are set to Pounds.
    - mulmen 4y ago
      I'm not convinced re: cross-border sales. When Canada was on the imperial system they were on the actual Imperial system. The one the British adopted in 1826. That's post-revolution so the US was on the US customary system which evolved alongside the Metric system and for similar reasons. This means that gallons were different sizes. Today Canada sells milk in bags, I'm not sure that's even available in the US. Cars in Canada have different gauge clusters to support primary-kph. There are probably additional differences in packaging. Does Canada use the same nutrition facts label? I would believe that there's some standardization from NAFTA and similar agreements with our northern (and southern) neighbors. But I think Canada's usage of the Metric (and Imperial) systems has more to do with being part of the commonwealth and less to do with the US being nearby.
mulmen 4y ago
Americans use the metric system every day. And what's wrong with a penny? Decimal currency has to retain a fundamental unit or there are some amounts that can't be created.
- b112 4y ago
  I don't have a horse in this race, but I think what the commenter meant was, some places don't use the penny any more. In Canada, the penny is gone. It was too expensive to keep (cost of producing them is just silly, for their value of 1 cent.). So prices are just rounded when using cash: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/phasing-penny.html https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/programs/about-canad... In as the penny was effectively worthless even a decade ago (when this was done), it just makes sense. I can't think of a single person, or retailer, who cared. Most approved of it. So, that's probably what someone meant by the penny comment. Whether the US should do the same? I don't know. I just know it worked out very easily, and well, in Canada.
  - mulmen 4y ago
    > cost of producing them is just silly, for their value of 1 cent. I don't understand this argument. A penny is not disposable. They last for decades, being used in thousands of transactions. It only has to generate more economic value in its life than it cost to produce. The face value is irrelevant. Dropping the penny just means you changed the resolution of your currency from 100ths to 20ths. Can I still run a credit card transaction for $1.17 in Canada? > I just know it worked out very easily, and well, in Canada. What benefits did Canada realize with this change?
    - b112 4y ago
      Read some of the info / stats here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(Canadian_coin)#Abolition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(Canadian_coin)#Abolitio... The real problem is that pennies are worth nothing, (1 cent has no real value for people), so people hoard them, or don't care if they are damaged/lost. Add to that, the cost of the metal is more than the face value, so illegal or not, people can buy them and profit by destroying them. Look at these stats: * A 2007 survey indicated that 37 percent of Canadians used pennies, but the government continued to produce about 816 million pennies per year, equal to 24 pennies per Canadian. * In 2011 the Royal Canadian Mint had minted 1.1 billion pennies Spending millions yearly, because people don't care, isn't sensible. And yes, electronic means to the penny, cash means rounding. Who cares? It all evens out in the end, and 2 cents is nothing, yet it saves tens of millions a year. Not to mention, counting all those pennies for no reason. You know how it worked for me? I'd get paid in cash, get a few pennies, and at end of day throw them on my dresser. Do you think I put them in my pocket, to count out next time? No. No one did. Because it isn't worth the energy or time. We'll probably phase out the nickle soon.

Aloha 4y ago

Change is awful, so is a lack of change. We should hope the balance wheel of progress is kept near centered and that we get needed change, but somewhat slowly.