Ask Lemmy

Because the ability to easily convert between meters and kilometers is the only intrinsic benefit that metric has over any other form of measurement.

Some say imperial has some other benefits, like being easy to do math in your head with... but I'm skeptical that this benefit is worth much either - if it even exists at all.

The real benefit to metric is that it is standard across the world. So what the "convert to metric crowd" really wants to say is "it is inconvenient for me to have to keep converting from your units to mine - change your units for my benefit!" But that would feel rather dickish, so they make up a story about how changing your units is really for your benefit.

They’re just jealous we don’t have to use decimals on our thermostats

I use metric for distance. It's more functional and easier to use.

Meter. Cm. Mm. (But not km that much.)

Trying to convert your way of thinking by "making it easy."

Honestly, it's like a language. You have to use it and feel it through immersion. Experience is how you get people to convert.

The best arguments for metric is that you get to travel slightly faster for an equivalent speed limit (100 kph > 60 mph) and only needing to own one set of wrenches

This wall is 3 metres wide, how many 80 cm shelves can I put up on it?

I see where you are coming from and I agree that the big advantage of the metric system is not specifically conversion or anything in particular, but in general that everything fits together due to the coherent units and ratio.

How often do y’all convert your measurements? It’s not even a daily thing.

It's not literally an active daily task, but the effortless conversion benefits your mental image of measurements in general and you don't even have to think about the conversion in the first place. I do not think you are unique in this though. When you live in a place that uses the imperial system (sorry for assuming. Correct me, if I'm wrong), your personal benefit of using the metric system is limited in your daily life.

I haven't really been trying to convince people to switch, but I have been telling people I've switched to metric for at least temperature (so far).

And that's less to conversation about how it's just objectively better than fahrenheit in literally every single way, except familiarity. Which given that any switch in life would have that problem, I see that as a non-issue.

Scales should never be based on arbitrary things, or creatively-decided things. They should have a concrete, absolute, and objective thing they're based on, and keeping it based on a certain number for scales of units is better than 12in to a foot, 3 feet to a yard, etc.

It doesn't necessarily have to be base 10, but given that's what it society uses, that's probably best for us, but any base will do, as long as it's consistent.