Thus, mathematics is one of the most important achievements of culture and civilization. Without it, the development of technology and knowledge of nature would be unthinkable! Okay, you may say, let’s say this exact science is really extremely important for humanity as a whole, but why do I need it personally? What will it give me?
Mathematics develops mental abilities
Mathematics allows you to develop some important mental qualities, such as analytical, deductive (ability to generalize), critical, prognostic (ability to predict, think a few steps ahead) abilities.
This discipline also improves abstract thinking (because it is an abstract science), the ability to concentrate, trains memory, and enhances the speed of thinking. That’s how much you get!
Speaking in more detail and working with specific skills, math will help a person develop the following intellectual abilities
- The ability to generalize.
- The ability to analyze complex life situations, the ability to make the right decision and to make decisions in the face of difficult choices.
- Ability to find patterns.
- The ability to think and reason logically, to formulate thoughts competently and clearly, and to draw correct logical conclusions.
- Ability to think and make decisions quickly.
- Planning skills, the ability to keep several consecutive steps in mind.
- Conceptual and abstract thinking skills: the ability to consistently and logically build complex concepts or operations.
Math organizes, streamlines and optimizes your thinking!
Mathematics trains such mental qualities that form the framework and skeleton of all your thinking! These are, first of all, logical abilities. It is everything that organizes all your thoughts into a coherent system of concepts and ideas and the connections between them.
Mathematics itself is the embodiment of natural order and there is nothing surprising in the fact that it organizes your mind. And without this notorious logic in the head, a person is not able to draw correct logical conclusions, compare concepts of various kinds, and loses the ability to analyze and reason in a healthy way. And this can lead to the phenomenon of “porridge in the head,” confusion in thoughts and reasoning, and vagueness of argumentation.
Such a person is easily misled, which is what usually happens, since he or she is not able to detect a clear violation of logic in the statements of various fraudsters and charlatans. Knowledge of math does not allow you to be deceived!
So it’s not just calculations and formulas, it’s first and foremost logic and orderliness! It’s a set of rules and functions that make your thinking consistent and logical. This affects your ability to reason, formulate thoughts, hold complex concepts in your head and build intricate relationships.
Do humanities majors need math?
It turns out that mathematics will definitely come in handy even if you are going to succeed in a humanities discipline, as logic, systematic thinking skills, and the ability to formulate complex theories are very much needed there as well.
It is not uncommon to hear about brilliant lawyers who, in addition to their legal education, have also received a degree in physics and mathematics. This helped them, like good chess players, to build complex combinations of defense options in court, or to invent clever ways to interact with the legal framework and come up with various intricate and non-trivial solutions.
You should not think that you are not naturally capable of doing this, that your vocation is the humanities and that you are not able to teach exact subjects. When someone says that they have a humanitarian mindset and therefore cannot do math, read formulas and solve problems, no matter how much they want to, you should know that this is a sophisticated attempt to justify the fact that they do not have developed mathematical skills. It’s just that these skills have not been properly developed for some reason.
The human mind is a universal thing, designed to solve a wide variety of problems. Of course, this statement has its limits: everyone, due to the peculiarities of their innate and acquired thinking properties, has certain inclinations to master various sciences. In addition, specialization often requires knowledge of one thing: it is difficult to be an excellent mathematician, chemist, lawyer, and teacher in one (not all of us are Lomonosovs). You will always have to choose from something.
But everyone can master the basic skills of mathematical thinking! It will be more difficult for one person, and easier for another. But everyone can do it. It is necessary for the balanced development of your mind.
One does not exclude the other, but, on the contrary, harmoniously complements it. The “humanitarian mindset” in the context of the impossibility of mastering the exact sciences is just a huge nonsense and an attempt to justify the unwillingness to master those skills that are more difficult to acquire than others.
Why do you need math in your life and work?
Math is useful in business. Perhaps the profession you consider as your future will not involve calculations, formulas, computer science, or analytics.
Still, this does not mean that it will always be so. You may want to change your profession. Or you may get so bored with your job that you decide to start your own business (and this happens quite often). Setting up an independent enterprise always requires calculations, forecasting, and analysis. You, as the head of a new business, will need to have the appropriate skills, not everything can be delegated to employees, and their work needs to be monitored in any case.