3 ms·

Compare learning math to learning to bicycle. There is some some sweat and struggle that needs to be put in, before one "gets it". After this it can become enjo

Compare learning math to learning to bicycle. There is some some sweat and struggle that needs to be put in, before one "gets it". After this it can become enjoyable. I encouraged my daughter with practice exercises from a young age, but tried to avoid making it a drudge. She built up confidence and did well with it. She is also very hands on creative. She decided to study engineering and is working towards her PhD.

alpaca128 1y ago
Those aren't nearly comparable. Riding a bike is one simple skill and as long as you're not racing that's enough for most people. Meanwhile learning maths is a years-long effort at best. I learned how to ride a bike within an hour by myself when I finally had a good reason to learn it. I can't say the same about maths.
- Ekaros 1y ago
  Bike is fabulous self-correcting vehicle in most operation conditions. The trick really is just to learn to trust it when it is moving. And then what to do when it stops. Math is layers upon layers upon layers. And then it also branches. Never really had willpower to learn it myself alone.
  - mc3301 1y ago
    It does depend on what one defines as "riding a bicycle." At a moderate pace from point A to point B, or simply a lap around the neighborhood is one thing. Technical single tracks, grueling climbs, steep and slippery downhills, racing, maintenance and tuning, trials, jumps, drafting... Math is just splitting the bill with your friends, seeing if you have enough cash for a hotdog AND a coke, or counting how many months of savings in order to buy that 5000$ bicycle.
imtringued 1y ago
Learning math is equivalent to learning to cycling if you had to learn cycling from scratch with every bicycle.
- mc3301 1y ago
  20" competition trials bike, mulleted DH racing machine, full-squish slope-style dirtjumps, Japanese keirin, multi-week bikepacking, ITT, freeride.... Obviously there is some overlap. Math, for most people, is the same a bicycles, for most people. With a handful of simple concepts, you can get by daily life.

alpaca128 1y ago

Those aren't nearly comparable. Riding a bike is one simple skill and as long as you're not racing that's enough for most people. Meanwhile learning maths is a years-long effort at best. I learned how to ride a bike within an hour by myself when I finally had a good reason to learn it. I can't say the same about maths.

Ekaros 1y ago
Bike is fabulous self-correcting vehicle in most operation conditions. The trick really is just to learn to trust it when it is moving. And then what to do when it stops. Math is layers upon layers upon layers. And then it also branches. Never really had willpower to learn it myself alone.
- mc3301 1y ago
  It does depend on what one defines as "riding a bicycle." At a moderate pace from point A to point B, or simply a lap around the neighborhood is one thing. Technical single tracks, grueling climbs, steep and slippery downhills, racing, maintenance and tuning, trials, jumps, drafting... Math is just splitting the bill with your friends, seeing if you have enough cash for a hotdog AND a coke, or counting how many months of savings in order to buy that 5000$ bicycle.

imtringued 1y ago

Learning math is equivalent to learning to cycling if you had to learn cycling from scratch with every bicycle.

mc3301 1y ago
20" competition trials bike, mulleted DH racing machine, full-squish slope-style dirtjumps, Japanese keirin, multi-week bikepacking, ITT, freeride.... Obviously there is some overlap. Math, for most people, is the same a bicycles, for most people. With a handful of simple concepts, you can get by daily life.