Statistical (Bayesian) thinking is an extremely underrated way of thinking of almost everything.
Frankly, its overrated. Now you can adjust your priors.
Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
71–80 of 419 posts
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it worth it to be able to think better, have a growth mindset and learn how to learn? Yes. Everyone can benefit from that. Pushing on into higher math? No, very few people can benefit from that.
Math doesn’t seem to me the only source of thinking clearly, or learning how to learn, etc. And if I’m searching for an aesthetic high, there are definitely better places to look — and ones that don’t require such a long runway.
It doesn't need to be for me to be right. These are false constraints you're trying to put on it. Mathematics in moderation can benefit everyone. This claim stands.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#73I agree with the sentiment of this. I think our obsession with innate mathematical skill and genius is so detrimental to the growth mindset that you need to have in order to learn things. I've been working a lot on my math skills lately (as an adult). A mindset I've had in the past is that "if it's hard, then that means you've hit your ceiling and you're wasting your time." But really, the opposite is true. If it's e…
As a kid I was also terrible at maths, then later became obsessed with it as an adult because I didn't understand it, just like OP. It was the (second) best thing I've ever done! The world becomes a lot more interesting.
I haven't been able to grasp maths as a kid nor as an adult.
I've tried night classes, tutors, activities. Nothing sticks.
Even the standard 12x tables I struggle at. I want to understand it but my brain just can't understand the non-practicality side of things.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I agree with the sentiment of this. I think our obsession with innate ~~mathematical~~ skill and genius is so detrimental to the growth mindset that you need to have in order to learn things. I strongly believe that the average human being can be exceptional in any niche topic given enough time, dedication and focus. The author of the book has picked out mathematics because that was what he was interested in. The r…
> Whilst some people (mostly spectrum) do seem have an innate talent I think the only thing in autism that I'd call an innate talent is detail-oriented thinking by default. It'd be the same type of "innate talent" as, say, synesthesia, or schizophrenia: a side effect of experiencing the world differently.
> a side effect of experiencing the world differently
A side effect for which there is a substantial, lifelong, and most importantly wide cost, even if it occasionally confers usually small, usually fleeting, and most importantly narrow advantage.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#75I agree with the sentiment of this. I think our obsession with innate mathematical skill and genius is so detrimental to the growth mindset that you need to have in order to learn things. I've been working a lot on my math skills lately (as an adult). A mindset I've had in the past is that "if it's hard, then that means you've hit your ceiling and you're wasting your time." But really, the opposite is true. If it's e…
> I agree with the sentiment of this. I think our obsession with innate ~~mathematical~~ skill and genius is so detrimental to the growth mindset that you need to have in order to learn things. I strongly believe that the average human being can be exceptional in any niche topic given enough time, dedication and focus. The author of the book has picked out mathematics because that was what he was interested in. The r…
>The belief that some people have an innate skill that they are born with is deeply unhelpful. Whilst some people (mostly spectrum) do seem have an innate talent, I would argue that it is more an inbuilt ability to hyper focus on a topic, whether that topic be mathematics, Star Trek, dinosaurs or legacy console games from the 1980’s.
Nonsense!
The brain you are born with materially dictates the ceiling of your talent. A person with average ability can with dedication and focus over many years become reasonably good, but a genius can do the same in 1 year and at a young age.
We have an education system which gives an A Grade if you pass the course, but 1 person may put on 5 hours a week and the other works day and night.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#76But what is the difference between math talent and plug-n-chug math talent? That seems to be the most significant filter.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#77I have an autistic friend with dyscalculia. They see numeric digits as individual characters (as in a story), each with their own personalities. Each digit has its own color, its own feelings. But they are not quantities; they don't make up quantities. Numbers are very nearly opaque to them. I wonder how this theory would apply to them. Do they still perform mathematical thinking? They're still capable of nearly all the same logic that I am, and even some that I'm not (their synesthesia gives them some color/pattern/vibes logic that I don't have)... just not math.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#78I want to say yes, but I have two counters. One is that math nerds at school insisted on intimidating for the win and I just hated it. The second is notation. I had a snob teacher who insisted on using Newton not Leibniz and at school in the 1970s this is just fucked. One term of weirdness contradicting what everyone else in the field did. Likewise failure to explain notation, it's hazing behaviour. So yes, everyone…
> One is that math nerds at school insisted on intimidating for the win and I just hated it.
Only an adult can look and see what that was - immature, insecure little boys, desperately trying to show off as bigger/more mature or kick down anybody showing any weakness or mistake. Often issues from home manifesting hard. Its trivial to look back without emotions, but going through it... not so much.
If my kids ever go through something similar (for any reasons, math nerds are just one instance of bigger issue) I'll try reasoning above, not sure if it will help though.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#79A nice sentiment but clearly a large % of people never do learn even basic mathematical thinking and seem very confused by it. So is there some scientific study backing up the claim that all these people could easily learn it or are we just making it up because its a nice egalitarian thesis for a math popularization book?
That certain countries both now and in the past have had significantly higher mathematical ability among the general population and much higher proportions going on to further study suggests that ability isn’t innate but that people don’t choose it. In the Soviet Union more time was spent teaching mathematics and a whole culture developed around mathematics being fun.
Why would ability not be innate just because some people with the ability don't use it?
Or more specifically, two of my friends teach special needs children in the 50 to 70 IQ band. Who are we going to blame for them not becoming mathematicians? The teachers, for not unlocking their hidden potential? The kids, for not trying hard enough? Claiming that the only thing holding them back is choice seems as cruel as it is wrong, to me.
Yeah, we're probably not cultivating anywhere near the potential that we could, but I personally guarantee you I am not Ramanujan or Terence Tao.
Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've had some success converting people by telling them others had convinced them they were stupid. They usually have one or two things they are actually good at, like a domain they flee to. I simply point out how everything else is exactly like [say] playing the guitar. Eventually you will be good enough to sing at the same time. Clearly you already are a genius. I cant even remember the most basic cords or lyrics b…
But also, some people are stupid, right?
Intellect is like a gas, it will expand to fill its container. The container, in humans, is epigenetic and social — genetics only determines how hot or cold your gas is, ie how fast and how fluidly it expands, but you’re taught your limits — it’s best to see stupid as not how limited you are relative to other but what limits you have now and may abandon in the future.
That said, some people received a smaller starting container, and might need some help cracking it. That’s the work of those who think they’ve found a bigger one.