Plain English with Derek Thompson How Metrics Make Us Miserable
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Feb 27, 2026 
C. Thi Nguyen, philosopher and author of The Score, explores how metrics reshape what we love and why. He recounts rock climbing, academic rankings, and social media to show how scoring systems capture value. Short, sharp takes on why useful numbers can corrupt purposes and how to reclaim activities that matter to you.
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Rock Climbing Turned Into A Score Then Was Reclaimed
- C. Thi Nguyen fell in love with rock climbing despite being bad at it and originally hating embodiment.
- He advanced until a wall (time, limits, parenthood) made the scoring focus miserable, then reframed goals toward grace to regain joy.
Academic Rankings Redirected A Passion For Philosophy
- Nguyen entered philosophy for love but shifted to publishing for status because of journal and department rankings in grad school.
- Chasing those rankings drained his passion until he abandoned them and returned to topics he loved like philosophy of games.
Value Capture Explains How Metrics Replace Our Values
- Nguyen defines value capture: external simplified measures replace rich, developing personal values and become what people pursue.
- Metrics work as formatted valuing tools for bureaucracies, so ingesting them unthinkingly outsources your values to others' interests.
