Math Meanies

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I find that people who are good at math and actually like math are actually rather vindictive folk. Now, that's just my opinion.

Really. That's interesting.

Perhaps the ones that you have met are.
Or perhaps they are very logical and so follow their logic.
Correcting errors in the world as they see it.
And in their minds are simply correcting maths and logic puzzles.

Who can say.

Perhaps we are all simply complex equations, which are all simply sub equations in an infinitively
complex equation called the universe, but which are all in constant flux and transformation.

And one day that equation will finally reach a resolution or be solved....

That cannot be true because my nrother who i wrote about n described in the ‘who do u miss right now’ thread today, is exceptionally kind and accepting AS well as being a certified math genius

He can do huge sums in his head etc
Math is his passion he incorporates it into history which is his other interest by trying to calculate the dates between different events n find patterns n stuff

Oh Yeah n my Mr Lawrence Moore who was my math teacher n obsessed with math was exceptionally nice n kind n noble, albeit goofy, too . He was like the only teacher who spoke up fr us to the corrupt administration as they had ancient deteriorated textbooks n substandard everything yet our school fees were ginormous.. he did that n got fired all for our sake. So yeah i have to disagree..strongly...with you on that

Math has been my Kryptonite for as long as I can remember, but I can be pretty mean.

Not that I'm proud of that or anything.

My calculus teacher was a really nice guy. He complemented my previous teacher in class on how well he taught cylindrical coordinates (it was his very first year of teaching).

You find me vindictive?
I'm sorry to hear it

I love math and am adequate at it (limited by my lack of education) - not vindictive at all.

how about a contemptuous society

if ur white and math, mean girls hate u; if ur black and math, black boys hate u.

I would put it a different way...

People with a condescending, vindictive personality type who consider their knowledge of [any subject you care to choose] to be evidence of their superiority to other people will favour that kind of knowledge as a means of expressing contempt.

Some computer geeks help their relatives to use their computers more safely, while the vindictive ones merely sneer at people whom they consider "luddites".

Some linguists dedicate themselves to helping people to communicate more effectively, while the vindictive ones are grammar pedants who target people merely for speaking in a perfectly comprehensible colloquial register.

It's just that you notice the vindictive kind more than the nice kind because the vindictive ones rub your nose in your supposed "inferiority" all the time. The nice ones don't consider you inferior, so they don't bring the subject up unless it's truly necessary; you might not even know about their maths ability because they see no need to boast about it.

I think people stereotype geeks so much that most of us are avoiding you if that's the way you see things.

I do mountains of math for a living. Basically no one ever asks me about it. I think that's really lame.

There are also lazy people who expect someone else to do all the hard work for them.

I'm one myself - I've been a moderator on music DSP programming forums! So I'm unsure if maybe you have misunderstood me, or if I have misunderstood you (maybe our definitions of "geek" differ?). I made a dichotomous comparison for rhetorical effect, of course; but I don't see how the principle that one can choose to use one's knowledge constructively or destructively, guided by one's personality, can really be doubted. Surely you don't think that being "geeky" automatically makes one more saintly? Lady luck must have shone very brightly on you if you have never encountered a "geek" being condescending (you don't use Stack Overflow, I take it? ). That the rest of us get tarred with the same brush is unfortunate, but as I said, bad apples draw attention and feed the stereotypes - I like being tarred with that brush no more than you do.

Hear, hear. I'm not into math because I like seeming cold & unwelcoming. This thread pretty much just means I'll be alone more.

Math is just another language; if you generalize polymaths like me, everybody loses. I would be happy to teach you some interesting stuff but I sense a lot of prejudices about this.

"Math Meanies" exist because there are people who rely on subjective belief and others who rely on objective facts. These two groups are at odds, because the "Math Meanies" can easily refute the beliefs and crush the dreams of people whose only strength is their faith, while people who go through life blissfully unaware of the hazards of reality are seen as frivolous and not to be taken seriously by the "Math Meanies".

Case in point: I was driving through L.A. a couple of years ago when we turned a corner to see a brilliant plume of bright light rising up from behind the mountains. My companions (devout Christians) declared that it was a wondrous sign, and began to interpret its meaning in Biblical terms.

I tuned the radio to a local news station, which announced that a missile had just been launch from the Vandenberg Airbase, and that the setting sun was turning the missile's exhaust into a multi-hued light show.

When I relayed this fact to my companions, they became quiet and sullen. One declared that there must be something wrong with a person who could not see the true beauty of Creation, but who relied on scientific facts instead.

We drove on in silence.

I cannot say I have had much experience with that.

I do know however that I am terrible at math, I can't pass remedial math in college with a tutor, I failed twice while meeting with a student tutor(I admit its part of the reason I dropped out). I suspect being allowed to use notes on tests would have helped(seems the difficulty I have is processing it all) but since I don't have a diagnosed learning disability they didn't make exceptions like that for me.

I did just fine with other subjects in school, I found science interesting...but of course if we were doing anything that tied math in(as tends to happen with science) I certainly didn't get the best grades, but I did pass at least.

I wish I was at least sufficient at math it would have prevented me suffering untold hours of straining my brain trying to get the answers, being embarrassed over and over at how bad I was at it and staring at the clock waiting for class to be over while being miserable, growing up. As well as staying after class in middle school to get one on one help from the teacher, to then take a very long bus journey home with all the elementary schoolers not getting home till like 5:30 in the evening. All so I could still continue to completely fail at math.

I recall in 4th grade being taunted repeatedly 'special help, special help...you need special help' because it came to their knowledge I struggled with math and sometimes teachers tried to help.