Does Mathematics 😒 Really Deserve All This Hate?

If I told you that mathematics is the most hated subject in schools, it would probably not come as a surprise to you. But what if I told you that mathematics is the most hated subject AND the most loved subject in schools?

“How is that possible?”, you ask? Well, the answer is mathematics. Don’t believe me? Check out this poll and see the results for yourself. I have covered the counter-intuitive mathematics behind polls in a separate essay if you are into stuff like that.

Back to the topic at hand. I am not sure if this result can be reproduced throughout the world, but I am certain about one thing: mathematics invokes emotions! 

It’s funny, isn’t it? For a subject that is not particularly well known for involving emotions, it does invoke a handful of it.

So, just what is the deal with mathematics and emotions? Well, that’s what this essay is all about. Let dive deeper.

This essay is supported by Generatebg

Mathematics and Emotions

Whenever I talk to anyone about mathematics (I know, I’m THAT type of person), I get polarised opinions. And they are not just any kind of opinions; they are particularly of the emotional type. It is typically either:

“What?! You are into mathematics too? 😁👌”

or

“I hate mathematics; I’ve hated it since I was a child! 😣”

I have always had the feeling that the latter opinion occurred far more often than the former. But apparently, Japanese school children are more divided. Either way, the polarisation occurs because of two fundamentally different experiences.

Some children are good at math in school, while others are not. Those that are good at it take affinity to the subject and the rest grow to hate it. You and I hate stuff that we are terrible at all the time.

So, it is completely understandable where the polarisation comes from. But why is it this way? And can we do something about it? Before we explore answers to those questions, why don’t I tell you my own little story.

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The Kid that Hated Mathematics 😒

I was that kid. My reason was pretty much the same; I was terrible at the subject. But then, my dad took notice of my challenges and introduced me to his buddy who was this applied mathematics guy.

I visited this “tutor” every weekend to clarify my mathematical difficulties. This completely changed my perspective on mathematics. All of a sudden, I could see how manoeuvrable math was.

Don’t get me wrong; I never really became exceptional at math (until this very day). But I learnt how to think and inherited the passion for the subject from this man. 

I remember moving from a math hater to a kid who scored a perfect 100% on a math (geometry) test in a matter of months. I still remember the elation I saw on this man’s face when I showed my answer sheet and perfect score. I remember thinking to myself:

“I don’t feel any different. In fact, I am pretty sure that I am not good at math. I just feel that I can manage and that I am curious enough to improve.”

This feeling of insecurity never really went away. In a plot twist, it actually took me a long time to start doing anything remotely useful and practical with mathematics. I figured as an adult that I had to unlearn almost everything that I learnt about math until that point and relearn the subject “my way”.

I started inventing my own language for the subject and made significant progress. Until this very day, I am still on this journey — the journey of the eternal learner. It does not matter to me if I am good at mathematics or not. All that matters to me is the joy of solving problems curiously and creating meaningful value for myself and others around me.

That’s all for today’s flashback-tales, folks! Now, let’s get back to the topic at hand.

Must I Get Good at Mathematics 😒?

I often get this argument from math haters. It usually takes a form that resembles the following:

“I don’t need to know how the engine works to drive a car. Similarly, I can just plug in the numbers into a calculator and get the results that I need. Why should I care about how an integral or factorial works?”

If you notice closely, you will realise that this argument uses an analogy. It treats mathematics as a piece of technology (with the car being the analogy). The trouble is that your car does not steal money from your wallet because of your lack of engine knowledge. But mathematics will!

Let me explain. Mathematics is more than a piece of technology; it is embedded into the nature of human beings. In other words, the less math savvy someone is, the more the chances are that this person is going to be exploited by a more math savvy person.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that everyone has to become a math expert. Instead, all that I am saying that everyone needs to understand how math works and develop some level of affinity towards it.

If not, there is a whole host of real-world sharks out to prey upon innocent math-hating victims. These sharks include markets, social media algorithms, insurance companies, ticketing systems, online shop pricing algorithms, sales teams/systems, etc. So, what can we do about this?

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What is the Solution?

The root of this issue stems from school back when children first started feeling incompetent at math. It does not aid us if we place the blame squarely on the teachers or the educational system. We have to collectively take responsibility for the situation and come up with a collective response.

Firstly, students need to be inspired by real-world applications of math before they (falsely) start seeing it as the end goal. Math is (among other things) a tool that helps us lead better lives, and not a golden trophy meant to be held only by a chosen few.

Finally, in my humble opinion, mathematicians and practitioners of math have to come together and make mathematics more accessible to non-experts. I wrote an entire essay about how mathematics as a language is failing at this spectacularly.

Summary

To conclude, here is a summary of everything we have covered in this essay:

1. Mathematics is both the most hated as well as the most loved subject in schools (based on a Japanese poll).

2. Math invokes polarised emotions — those who are good at it like it, and vice-versa.

3. A detour into my flashback — I used to hate math until I gained inspiration from someone who showed me that there are ways around my difficulties. I never really got good at math, but I still enjoy the subject and am passionate about it!

3. Hating and avoiding mathematics makes one vulnerable to being exploited by insurance companies, social media algorithms, pricing and sales systems, etc.

4. Students who feel that they are not good at math typically see it as the end goal. And failing at an end goal destroys morale. To rectify this situation, students need to be inspired by real-world applications of math, thereby realising that mathematics is a means and not the end.

5. Mathematicians and practitioners of mathematics have to come together to make the subject more accessible to non-experts.

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Further reading that might interest you:

• How To Really Benefit From Curves Of Constant Width?
• Why You Actually Hate Cold Water Exposure?
• How To Really Understand Order Of Operations?

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