Absolute or Relative Measures?

Iowans are moving about 900 mph

Relative position and absolute position are completely different measures.  

I was top of my elementary school class, in the top 1% of high school, but only in the top 15% of my university. 

Some mid-level managers have $200 million budgets, and some organizations have VPs with a $220,000 budget. 

The shortest member of the NBA is taller than me, and has a vertical leap about 30 inches higher than me. 

I’m wealthier (funds, access to resources, opportunities, education) than 95% of population of Earth, but don’t feel that way in everyday life.

When I am sitting still, completely relaxed, my body is traveling with the earth.  The rotational speed of my location in Iowa is about 900 miles/hour. The earth is moving an average of 19 miles per second (67,000 miles per hour) in its orbit around the sun.  Our solar system is traveling about 155 miles per second as part of the Milky Way galaxy.   Astrophysicists estimate the Milky Way galaxy is moving about 185 miles per second through the universe. 

Leaders get to decide whether to focus on relative or absolute reference points.