The study of mathematics is apt to commence in disappointment... We are told that by its aid the stars are weighed and the billions of molecules in a drop of water are counted. Yet, like the ghost of Hamlet's father, this great science eludes the efforts of our mental weapons to grasp it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mathematics starts disappointing because its real power is abstract and hard to grasp mentally. The subject feels elusive despite its reputation for precision.
- In plain terms
- Math is hard to understand at first despite its usefulness.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect difficulty when learning abstract math.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why is math hard to visualize?
- How do you overcome learning plateaus?
Another view
Some find math intuitive rather than disappointing.
More from Alfred North Whitehead
He gave them speech, and they became souls.
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Permalink to quote #8 We do not require elaborate training merely in order to refrain from embarking upon intricate trains of inference. Such abstinence is only too easy.
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