Why is the fear of math common and how do we overcome it?

Question

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

Mostly the poor way it's taught. You have six coins, and I give you five more- how many coins do you have? Now I take two away- how many are left? Then I give you three more groups of the same size- how many do you have now? Then I ask you to divide them into groups of five- how many groups are there?

So far, so good- all still connected to concrete reality. And you'll notice, if you talk to kids being taught that, they usually stick with it. The turning point is long division, because it has NOTHING to do with observable reality: you take these digits and divide them into THIS fraction of the number, and- why? Because it works. But WHY? Because it's just what you do, now shut up and do it.

This is usually followed by pre-algebra, which has enough practical applications to bring SOME people back, but is followed by regular algebra, which is so woefully abstracted that only the most devoted don't turn from it, and generally has no use unless you're pursuing higher-level mathematics. Most people will live out their lives and die never having real use for anything beyond pre-algebra and basic geometry.

MuddyMole · Accepted Answer

It's probably less "fear" and more "dislike".
I always hated maths and was never any good at it. It was only much later, when I started making video games as a hobby, that I started re-learning a lot of it, and now I quite enjoy using it (mainly geometry, trigonometry and basic algebra).
So yeah, I guess it's probably down to the fact that maths is quite difficult, and all but the most basic maths is also completely irrelevant to a child / teenager.

Cleo12345 · Accepted Answer

It’s common as you are very aware if you haven’t understood a concept in school for example. When the teacher moves on and builds on this concept you can become lost and confused. In school the teacher usually teaches the concept and then the student has to show their knowledge of it through answering questions. Students become worried and even fearful of this if they haven’t understood teacher instruction. In maths strong foundations need to be built before moving on and unfortunately in a classroom it’s not always the way it works.

pollnokohj · Accepted Answer

I never heard that there was a fear of math until now. Really interesting. Although no matter what the best way to overcome fear is to go to it and do that fear. Running from it won't help.

normalice · Answer

I think some teachers panic when it comes to math because they dont know how to explain abstract concepts to kids who probably dont even want to understand them. My guess for overcoming it is to figure out a way to teach math as a language. Once someone understands arithmetic, get rid of numbers entirely and just teach an intuition for the terminology.

jaybee281 · Answer

Try harder and you'll get there - make sure you've got all the basics handled first and then go from there so that you aren't narrow minded once you get into the actual advanced stuff - That's how I taught my sister - She used to be trash at it but once she actually understood the initial problems she had with math it all started to clear up quickly.. Well at least quicker than I thought..

IMuser · Answer

1. Math is really not for everyone. I read somewhere that advanced mathematics can be done by people who have a high capacity to "keep info in brain" (kind of like keeping different concepts in head and applying on the problem)
2. The way math is taught is for passing only, not applying to problems in young ages. Unnecessarily teaching derivations and not applications makes them afraid (teaching how the kernel of Linux is written is much more daunting than teaching how to use it)

lightbulb27 · Answer

probably related to the fear of failure, which produces casting out and shame.
Young lady in the house doing very well with math now after she struggled for years. underneath that... was some social media trauma she experienced. once that was addressed, she's stellar student. so who knows what holds someone back may be individual.

Avicenna · Answer

High school math teacher here. It can be overcome by spending more time working problems because it takes time to see patterns and understand how the underlying concepts fit together and to get information from what's given to you. Seeing how concepts are built on other concepts.

I think some introduction to the less mechanical parts of math after Linear Algebra and Differential Equations might help as well.

Surely · Answer

I loved math in school. No grey areas for teacher interpretation. Like most of the other courses.
My thoughts on learning math. Since everything builds on what you should already know. Pay attention from the beginning. You will be lost if you don’t!
It is also up to the teachers not to let you fall behind and keep it interesting!
I have helped quite a few people to catch up.

Kiran_Yagami · Answer

Fear of math is common because math is a non-subjective skill. You either get it, or you don't. There's no alternate approach. There's no thinking outside the box. There's no touchy feely about it. Math is the way it is, and it ain't gonna change. It is cold, hard fact, and that completely slays the touchy feely generations of our current youth.

TommyMountainFigure · Answer

My father taught me the multiplication tables from the age of 5. By the time i was 9, I knew my13x up to 16x tables too.
The way to overcome it is the same as you would anything else in life. Practice until you are confident.

Anonymous · Answer

Math is hard. Lots of people are weak. Weak people are afraid of hard things.

Same reason so many people are fat.
Same reason so many people make nothing of themselves.

Weak people like to sit around and complain about being "victims" of the system or the world.

People who aren't weak, get off their asses and take ownership of their lives.

Shark_61695 · Answer

Sigma fears lol! Understanding goes a long way to overcoming fear... get a good grounding in the basics and learn how to use a calculator, it isn't too difficult.

sensible27 · Answer

I mean you're not gonna die just by doing it probably so..

exitseven · Answer

A lot of people are frightened of math because they do not understand it. Getting some extra instruction can de-mystify it.

zagor · Answer

Not sure. I always liked it because once you knew it, it didn't take much work. No papers to write, at least not til grad school.

Anonymous · Answer

Mathematics is not suitable for everyone. That's why we fail.

IveGotNoName · Answer

The fear of maths? Never heard of it😂

Babygirl_S · Answer

Because it is hard.

devoygf · Answer

do maths

Why is the fear of math common and how do we overcome it?

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