The speaker begins by expressing an appreciation for the "feels like" temperature concept in the United States, contrasting it with experiences in London and France. They humorously note that in London, 85°F (approximately 29.4°C) is enough to deter them from going to work, while in France, the lack of widespread air conditioning and a cultural aversion to drafts make high temperatures particularly uncomfortable. The speaker then highlights the difference in experiencing high temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona, where the "dry heat" is more tolerable, allowing them to be comfortable even at 100°F (approximately 37.8°C). This leads to the central argument: how one *feels* is more important than the ambient temperature, especially when considering practicalities like what to wear rather than performing scientific experiments. The speaker criticizes the reliance on traditional thermometers, which only measure ambient temperature and fail to capture the subjective experience. They draw a parallel to business practices, suggesting that organizations often prioritize numerically available data over how people feel, focusing on an "objective reality" at the expense of human experience.

MAD//Fest London

One thing I love in the United States, by the way, is the feels like temperature. I It's No, no, seriously, I'm a fat man of Celtic heritage. Okay.

And so I can't really miss the fact that weirdly in London, if it hits about 85°, I don't go into work. Whatever you do, if it hits 85°, don't go to France cuz they can't do air conditioning for [ __ ] Uh, for some weird reason because they're brought up to be frightened of drafts. I'm not making this up, by the way.

But actually, I can wander around Phoenix, Arizona in 100 degree temperatures and I'm pretty happy because as all Arizonans say, it's a dry heat. But actually, how you feel is more important than what the ambient temperature is. I'm not going outside in order to perform chemical experiments. I don't need to know the the temperature. What I need to know is what to wear. And yet, we insist on using these chemical thermometers which only tell part of the story.

And I think there's a metaphor there for an awful lot of what happens in business. We'll just take the things that are numerically available and it doesn't matter how people feel about them. All that matters is the objective reality. [Music]

Why The U.S. 'Feels like' Weather System is Superior | Rory Sutherland's MAD//Masters

weirdly in London, if it hits about 85°,

they can't do air conditioning for [ __ ]

One thing I love in the United States,
by the way, is the feels like
temperature. I It's No, no, seriously,
I'm a fat man of Celtic heritage. Okay.
And so I can't really miss the fact that
weirdly in London, if it hits about 85°,
I don't go into work. Whatever you do,
if it hits 85°, don't go to France cuz
they can't do air conditioning for [ __ ]
Uh, for some weird reason because
they're brought up to be frightened of
drafts. I'm not making this up, by the
way. But actually, I can wander around
Phoenix, Arizona in 100 degree
temperatures and I'm pretty happy
because as all Arizonans say, it's a dry
heat. But actually, how you feel is more
important than what the ambient
temperature is. I'm not going outside in
order to perform chemical experiments. I
don't need to know the the temperature.
What I need to know is what to wear. And
yet, we insist on using these chemical
thermometers which only tell part of the
story. And I think there's a metaphor
there for an awful lot of what happens
in business. We'll just take the things
that are numerically available and it
doesn't matter how people feel about
them. All that matters is the objective
reality.
[Music]

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Why The U.S. 'Feels like' Weather System is Superior | Rory Sutherland's MAD//Masters

Transcription