Math

I've been thinking lately about the how we see the world, and how so much of how we see the world is affected by our knowledge and experiences.

For example, the other day I was having a conversation with someone, and they mentioned that they saw absolutely no need for Calculus in the world, to which I replied, "I use calculus everyday.  Not the actual equations, but how I look at the world."  Knowledge of how rates and changes occur based on other factors plays in everything and everywhere I go. 

Similarly, people who have studied foreign languages sufficiently that they can think in that language gain a different way of viewing the world and forming their thoughts.  People who study music, architecture, politics, or any other subject area all have nuanced views.

Of course, the danger of those nuanced views is that they diminish the ability to know, appreciate, and often even understand the importance of the other views.  For example, engineers and scientists generally lack social aptitude, whereas getting lawyers and politicians to solve an algebraic equation, must less an incredibly difficult equation like the national budget, can be insanely difficult.  Both lack the skills to do the job of the other, but in both cases a wider education would, I believe, aid the situation.

This all got brought up because I was mentioning to a friend that here in DC I have to be particularly careful not to mock people for the inability to do basic math, because chances are most of the people around are similarly lacking in math skills.  I certainly found that to be the case in law school.  It simply doesn't attract people with math based skills. 

So, just like my obsession with Crossfit, I'm trying to be as well-rounded as I can in my education.  And hopefully enough other people will become similarly well-rounded that we can have a more comprehensive view of the various issues and problems in our lives...