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Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

quantamagazine.org

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Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#81

Post by [deleted] »

shrubhub wrote: post #40
ponderings wrote: post #33

Earlier 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?

[deleted]

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#82

Post by dennis_jeeves2 »

junto wrote: post #23
gsabo wrote: post #15

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'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…

>I strongly believe that the average human being can be exceptional in any niche topic given enough time, dedication and focus.

And this also gives the proponent (you in this case) an excuse to blame a person for not focusing hard enough or not being dedicated enough if they don't grasp the basics, let alone excel.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#83

Post by theclansman »

shrubhub wrote: post #39
faangguyindia wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Most people don't try hard at the gym. Most people don't try hard at music. Most people aren't comedians. This reads like the foreword to the incel handbook.

And that's obviously bad because incels are not real people with feelings.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#84

Post by KeplerBoy »

faangguyindia wrote: post #35
gsabo wrote: post #15

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'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…

[flagged]

You will stay a loser as long as you care about what some fictional mystical society thinks of you.

Do the stuff you're good at, provide for your family, earn the respect of your peers and forget about the rest.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#85

Post by gammalost »

magicalhippo wrote: post #36
cchi_co wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Effort, combined with the right motivation, can overcome most perceived barriers

It sounds like trivial insight, but at least in my experience many adults and even teachers have this "it's hard so it's ok to not want to do it" attitude towards math. And I think that is very detrimental.

Well, isn't that a summary of most things? Most things worth learning are hard, but many things not worth learning are also hard. So we have to prioritize what hard things are worth learning. Math is low on the list for many people for (I think) understandable reasons.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#86

Post by jonplackett »

Has anyone here self-taught themselves math in later life?

I studied up to A level (aged 19) but honestly started hating math aged 16 after previously loving it.

It’s a big regret of mine that I fell out of love with it.

I self taught myself coding and Spanish and much enjoy self study if I can find the right material.

Any suggestions?

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#87

Post by navigate8310 »

KeplerBoy wrote: post #84
faangguyindia wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

You will stay a loser as long as you care about what some fictional mystical society thinks of you. Do the stuff you're good at, provide for your family, earn the respect of your peers and forget about the rest.

I assume OP is an Indian. And from what I've observed, Indian society is highly paternalistic and status-seeking in nature. Parents demand marriage and grand-children as soon as their offspring hit a certain age and success.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#88

Post by sriram_malhar »

jonplackett wrote: post #86

Has anyone here self-taught themselves math in later life? I studied up to A level (aged 19) but honestly started hating math aged 16 after previously loving it. It’s a big regret of mine that I fell out of love with it. I self taught myself coding and Spanish and much enjoy self study if I can find the right material. Any suggestions?

Try this remarkable book:

Who Is Fourier?: A Mathematical Adventure

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Fourier-Mathematical-Transnationa...

It started off as a bunch of non-math literate folks teaching themselves math from scratch, including trigonometry, calculus etc, and ending in Fourier series. It is a very approachable and fun book.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#89

Post by sethammons »

yawpitch wrote: post #74
LoganDark wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

At such cost with such narrow advantage, why has it persisted so pervasively? I would counter that the advantage is wider and the cost narrower than your current value system is allowing you to accept.

Re: Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

#90

Post by bamboozled »

gsabo wrote: post #15

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'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…

How have you been working on it? Asking for a friend ;)
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