4 ms·

Either: you are not a born mathematician or were not trained enough. Math is like music, but unlike music you need to grok quite a bit to get to the beautiful p

Either: you are not a born mathematician or were not trained enough. Math is like music, but unlike music you need to grok quite a bit to get to the beautiful parts.

mpyne 13y ago
I'm not a mathematician or anything close and even I can find it quite beautiful... that is, the parts I can grok. :) I still think some of the Cantor and Gödel work is the most beautiful I've come across that was not from a prolific Swiss polymath.
kristopolous 13y ago
Relative to most, I've done a lot of math. I have an entire bookshelf dedicated to it, subscribed to journals for a number of years. I worked in cryptography for a while. The only things I ever think are "why is this presented in such a convoluted manner" or "Why is this so poorly written". The idea of "beautiful" is so remarkably far removed from the situation --- it would be as if people said they found it sexually arousing. To me, there is no possible connection.
- cscurmudgeon 13y ago
  > I've done a lot of math... I worked in cryptography for a while. Weirldy, that could be the reason. Doing something beautiful (art, math, etc) for $ usually ends up corrupting it for the person. I did not mean any offense. Source: Psychology research I am lazy to link and myself.
  - kristopolous 13y ago
    I'm not living a romantic loss-of-beauty through corrupting money narrative though. It was not beautiful when I was 5, 15, or 25. I found it a useful tool and that interested me, but aesthetics? no - never. Sorry to crash the party
    - cscurmudgeon 13y ago
      I am not doubting your account. I also know there are genuine asexuals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality
baddox 13y ago
And I wonder how much musical training or experience you have. Like mathematics, there is a lifetime (and more) of music theory to grok that will aid in the enjoyment of music.

Either: you are not a born mathematician or were not trained enough. Math is like music, but unlike music you need to grok quite a bit to get to the beautiful parts.

mpyne 13y ago

I'm not a mathematician or anything close and even I can find it quite beautiful... that is, the parts I can grok. :) I still think some of the Cantor and Gödel work is the most beautiful I've come across that was not from a prolific Swiss polymath.

kristopolous 13y ago

Relative to most, I've done a lot of math. I have an entire bookshelf dedicated to it, subscribed to journals for a number of years. I worked in cryptography for a while. The only things I ever think are "why is this presented in such a convoluted manner" or "Why is this so poorly written". The idea of "beautiful" is so remarkably far removed from the situation --- it would be as if people said they found it sexually arousing. To me, there is no possible connection.

cscurmudgeon 13y ago
> I've done a lot of math... I worked in cryptography for a while. Weirldy, that could be the reason. Doing something beautiful (art, math, etc) for $ usually ends up corrupting it for the person. I did not mean any offense. Source: Psychology research I am lazy to link and myself.
- kristopolous 13y ago
  I'm not living a romantic loss-of-beauty through corrupting money narrative though. It was not beautiful when I was 5, 15, or 25. I found it a useful tool and that interested me, but aesthetics? no - never. Sorry to crash the party
  - cscurmudgeon 13y ago
    I am not doubting your account. I also know there are genuine asexuals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality

baddox 13y ago

And I wonder how much musical training or experience you have. Like mathematics, there is a lifetime (and more) of music theory to grok that will aid in the enjoyment of music.