I Believe in Mathematics by Joseph Couch

Mathematics has a bad reputation. You ask someone what they think of math and first of all they call you crazy for just mentioning the horror. Then they go as far as to say they hate it. But why does almost everyone hate math? Some don't understand it. It's just not their thing so they just give up on it. Others do fine with it but consider it unnecessary entirely. But there are a few of us who truly enjoy working out mathematic solutions and expanding your mind to the logic of math. I am one such a person. I believe in mathematics.

Some people just don't have the mind for math. They mix up their numbers and theorems and end up with the wrong solution every time. They get annoyed and find a different niche which they fit into. My niche is math. But math isn't that easy to escape from. Math is everywhere and in my opinion you'd be much better off to have patience and learn it because I believe it to be fun too.

Other people just don't find it interesting. They know sine at pi over four is the square root of two over two but they just don't really care. Maybe they don't think it s worth the work or just would rather not work with numbers. They are not at all impressed that in any given situation there can be a math problem to solve about and look into it further. That works for them but I prefer solving things logically and mathematically.

I am not one of those two people. I truly enjoy learning, especially mathematics. Math just comes easily to me and I pick up new methods as fast as I can. I take joy from making graphs to predict the future. Call me a nerd or whatever but I love independent learning. You don't always need a teacher. You just need a book, the ability to read and the desire to learn. I enjoy looking for complex problems to solve because I think one of the greatest feelings is to challenge oneself and then beat that challenge. One of my biggest challenges mathematically is the challenge to find a challenge. I'm sure all of you have had a moment in math class when you solved a particularly nasty problem and had a great self-esteem boost. You felt empowered and intelligent. It's a great feeling.

Math is all around us whether we look for it or not. We may hate it or we may love it, but it will always be there. I find this very comforting, as I have grown close to the study of mathematics and hold my knowledge dear in my heart. I believe in mathematics.