The balance only gives us one data point. It tells us what something weighs. It is a statement of fact, based on one piece of criteria alone.
The balance doesn’t consider what the item is. There isn’t any context, because context is irrelevant to the balance or scale’s main objective – which is, what does it weigh?
Think about US currency. The weight of any paper bill is approximately one gram. However, the denomination on it determines its value. Whether we weigh $1 bills or $20 bills, the weight on the scale will be the same, but the value difference is drastic. To reach one pound on the scale, I would need to stack up 454 $1 bills, which obviously equals $454. To reach that same one pound, I would need to stack up the same 454 $20 bills to reach one pound, but the value would be $9,080.
One area in our daily lives where we see this difference is on the bathroom scale. When you get on the scale, it has no way of knowing how much of what you weigh is composed of fat and how much is muscle. I know I’ve been frustrated when I’ve been eating clean and working out and the scale hasn’t budged. But I see more muscle definition in the mirror. But I focus all my attention on what the scale says. It’s silly. Technically, one pound of muscle is the same as one pound of fat. However, muscle is significantly much denser than fat. This means that one pound of muscle is going to take up far less space on my body than a pound of fat.
It’s easy to get caught up on a number. But we are so much more than a number. And even if you are doing everything right, the scale might not reflect it just yet. Sometimes it takes time to show up there. But you know you’re doing the work. You know you’re eating less, hydrating more, working out and getting decent sleep. And you know you’re not going to give up and feel defeated. The scale isn’t considering those things, so it doesn’t get a say in how we feel about ourselves if it isn’t moving in the right direction yet.
