Find Standards in Premodern Times (Before 1760s)

Every corner of modern life is shaped by standards. At yesterday’s 315 Gala for Consumer Rights Day, consumers openly complained that a company’s food products fell short of expected standards, sparking heated discussions online. Your boss returned the financial statements you submitted today, requesting revisions to ensure they meet the required standards. Don’t forget to take your ID document for the national standard exam tomorrow. We face “standards” in all kinds of written documents and run into “standards” in verbal communication every day. Normative, unified, and authoritative, to name a few, are keywords that may be used to describe or characterize “standards.” It seems that all words related to order could be associated with “standards.” Precisely because of this, standards do not always appear in their usual forms. Regulations, proposals, and even unspoken understandings can all be incarnations of standards. In modern society, ubiquitous standards bring order and efficiency to almost every aspect of our lives and work. While you unwind in bed, scrolling aimlessly through videos, robotic arms on assembly lines repeat their coordinated packaging tasks tirelessly and precisely. Standards have become an indelible mark for modern people.