Definition:
Metrics are quantitative indicators used to measure, compare, or evaluate performance, activity, or outcomes within a system.
Usage Context:
Used across business management, governance, education, healthcare, platforms, and public policy.
Critical Note:
Metrics simplify reality to make it legible to systems. When metrics become targets rather than tools, they distort behaviour, erase context, and privilege what can be counted over what actually matters.
Related Terms:
Reductionism, Legibility Requirement, Efficiency Framing, Conceptual Flattening, Vanity Metrics