When was the last time you physically bumped into someone?
Even when not framed as a target, metrics have an unusual way of sensitizing us to things previously invisible and/or unnoticed. Take, for example, the guidance we have all received during this pandemic: six feet (two meters) is a safe distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Having this metric constantly repeated to us and stressed as important has made everyone more conscious of where they are in a physical space. Now it is impossible not to notice someone standing just a little too close in the grocery line, and it is impossible not to appreciate physical closeness when safe.