The Andrometer

We often seem to measure success based on family, money or material things like the type of car we drive or our address.

In the 18th century, well-known scholar Sir William Jones, who was tutoring Lord Althorp, presented his charge with the Andrometer; a way for him to check every so often to ensure his moral and intellectual development was staying on track.

Jones believed that “it will enable you to measure every man’s merit by looking for his age in the scale (marked on the left hand side), and then comparing it with the other side, and seeing to what degree he has risen in arts, sciences, and ornamental qualifications.”

Funnily enough, Jones admitted that he himself was a little behind on his “road to Glory,” having spent too much time in his language studies.

The Andrometer was meant to be light hearted – it is  simple and unattainably ambitious, but if you completed its checklist – how would you fare? The idea of preparing for eternity is a good one, but is that achieved as a culmination of a life well lived, or is is a category on its own? The 60’s look like a great decade in that time – are you living the same today?