We misunderstand math the same way we misunderstand religion

1. We teach math as mostly a way to solve mathematical problems. That is only half of it — the other half is a framework for thinking in life. We can reason by analogy from math problems and map them onto life. This meaning of math, as a tool to think about other areas of life, is missed in most education.
2. Similarly, when religion is taught in school, the main points are misunderstood. It is simply presented as a set of stories, facts — without explaining the meaning behind them. And the meaning is the point — not the stories themselves.
3. For example the point of Christianity is to offer a spiritual framework for how to live life well. The framework is offered through stories and symbols — the symbols themselves are not important, rather it is the meaning they convey.
4. Heaven or Hell are probably not real physical places we go to after we die. Jesus probably didn’t resurrect on the third day from the dead. Rather, they are symbolic representations of different human states of mind we can be in while living.
5. It seems we have a poor understanding of the meaning behind religion — and thus miss the best lessons.
6. I think we do something similar with mathematics. It has a deeper meaning that is lost when we only focus on the facts.
7. Math is, simply put, ideas presented in a symbolic way through the language of mathematics. The language of mathematics is not the point — rather it is the meaning behind the symbols.
8. Example: the concept of a function. In school, we learn what it looks like on a graph, how to calculate different values of x, how it is affected by different values. We manipulate the function using tools like derivates and integrals.
9. But what is the meaning of a function? It is a useful concept that can be applied in the space of life and ideas. It is a way to think about problems that have many variables. You can represent the idea of local minimum and maximums using this framework. These ideas are powerful tools in the world.
10. This point of math — to give people a toolbox of different concepts that can be applied in life — is something that is totally missed in education. We often think that math is only a way to solve mathematical problems.
11. Math gives a toolbox to understand and solve mathematical problems — but they are also ideas that can be used to solve other life problems.
12. Examples of some concepts I have used in thinking that I learned through math: Percentages, functions, derivates, optimization, probability, area, set theory, vectors, exponentiality, integrals etc...
13. We should explicitly say that the point of learning math is not simply to solve mathematical problems — rather it is a way to learn tools for thinking in all areas of life. Then, you can reason by analogy from your mathematical concepts and map them in the real world.
14. I would venture a guess and say that anything you learn can be used as an analogy to other problems. For example, if you are really good at dancing you probably can use some dance concepts to solve your life problems. However, math is something we force everyone to do so much in school — we should at least try to explain this meaning to them.

Thanks for reading.