Others feared it would disrupt existing trade practices from "summary" of The Measure of All Things by Ken Alder
The introduction of a standardized system of measurement was not universally embraced. While some saw it as a way to bring order and precision to the chaos of different regional measurements, others viewed it with suspicion and even hostility. The fear was that this new system would upset the established trade practices that had been in place for centuries. For merchants and traders who had grown accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of local measurements, the idea of a standardized system was seen as a threat to their way of doing business. They worried that the introduction of a new system would disrupt the delicate balance of trade that they had carefully cultivated over the years. The concept of a universal unit of measurement was met with resistance from those who saw it as an imposition from above, a top-down attempt to impose order on a system that had evolved organically over time. They feared that this new system would favor certain groups over others, leading to unfair advantages in the marketplace. In the eyes of these skeptics, the introduction of a standardized system of measurement was not just a technical matter, but a deeply political one. It represented a shift in power dynamics that could have far-reaching implications for those who had built their livelihoods on the existing trade practices.- The debate over the standardization of measurement was not just about numbers and units, but about the very nature of trade and commerce itself. It was a clash of worldviews, a struggle between tradition and progress, with the outcome hanging in the balance.
