| ||
| ||
| Psychology Information | |
|
|
An Easy Cure For Math Phobia
Why is it that one person enjoys math, while another person hates it? Why does one child happily and quickly calculate a simple sum, while another won't even attempt it because they're convinced they're simply "no good with numbers"? The problem certainly isn't caused by lack of intelligence. In fact there are many examples throughout history of seemingly "stupid" people who could do amazing things with numbers. Take the case of Jedediah Buxton (1702-1772), an illiterate laborer who became famous for his number skills. His employer once asked him: "In a body whose 3 sides are 23,145,789 yards, 5,642,732 yards, and 54,965 yards, how many cubical eighths of an inch are there?" Before giving the answer, Buxton asked "which end" of the 28-digit answer he should start at, as he could recite it just as easily forwards or backwards! Of course, mathematical prodigies are born, not made. But it does beg the question: "If somebody who can't even read or write is able to perform these kinds of breathtaking calculations, what stops other people from doing even simple sums?" Clearly, something went wrong along the way. Young children naturally enjoy numbers. And even people who now have an intense dislike for math often say they once enjoyed it. What has happened to them is generally an unfortunate event in their past. Perhaps they were ridiculed for a mistake they made with numbers, in front of the entire class. Maybe they missed some crucial math lessons and never really caught up. Or perhaps they were taught to handle numbers mechanically - when what they really needed was some explanation of why the numbers work the way they do. Whatever the specific reason, bad experiences with numbers left an emotional scar, which developed into a phobia to keep the sufferer safe from further harm. The point here is that if you have "math phobia" or "math block", it isn't a permanent state of mind. As a perfectly normal, healthy human being, you can do math and enjoy it as much as anyone. You can make this change yourself, anytime you want. You just need to ignore the disliking attitude and actually try manipulating a few numbers from time to time. Start with something easy, like adding small numbers in your head, or on paper if you prefer. Next time you get some change in the shop, check it's correct. Or better still, reckon up the change you expect while you are waiting to pay. Avoid perfectionism, especially in the early stages. Realize there are two ways of working with numbers: approximate and exact. Often, an approximate answer is all you need. For example, when you pick up a grocery item priced at $3.98, just call it "four dollars". The next thing you pick up in the shop is priced at $7.95, so call that "eight dollars". Add them together and you now expect to pay "nearly twelve dollars". Try it and you'll see how easy it is. The cure for math phobia is to allow a few numbers back into your life. Don't make a big thing of them, just do whatever you feel comfortable with. To summarize: 1. Recognize you have an aversion to math, whether it's full-blown math phobia or just a few math blocks here and there. 2. Make a conscious decision to do something about it. 3. Give yourself a regular math workout, however small to start with. You'll find it all gets easier, and you'll soon enjoy math once again. Kenneth Williams is author of "Fun With Figures", which shows you a completely different and much easier method of doing numbers in your head. Check it out here:http://FunWithFigures.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Psychology - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Nature VS Nurture - Theories of Personality in 21st Century Nature vs Nurture theories have wasted a lot of energy of human beings. Plato is considered first to realize that you are made of not only flesh but also an intellectual soul. Metaphors of the Mind (Part II) Storytelling has been with us since the days of campfire and besieging wild animals. It served a number of important functions: amelioration of fears, communication of vital information (regarding survival tactics and the characteristics of animals, for instance), the satisfaction of a sense of order (justice), the development of the ability to hypothesize, predict and introduce theories and so on. A Jungian Approach to Mental Illness All of us suffer from some form of emotional distress at some stage. Some forms of distress can last longer than they should and may significantly impair our everyday functioning. Why Other Children are Rejecting Your Child IntroductionDeveloping healthy peer relationships is critical for the normal development of a child. Peer relationships have been found to be an important predictor of positive adult adjustment and behavior. Gender and the Narcissist In the manifestation of their narcissism, female and male narcissists, inevitably, do tend to differ. They emphasise different things. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Neurologically Based Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurologically based disorder. This position has become controversial as many would like to dismiss the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder altogether saying that there is no evidence of neurological differences, or that there are no medical tests to diagnose ADD ADHD, or that the diagnostic criteria is too broad. The Psychology of Torture There is one place in which one's privacy, intimacy, integrity and inviolability are guaranteed - one's body, a unique temple and a familiar territory of sensa and personal history. The torturer invades, defiles and desecrates this shrine. Fallacies About the Inner Child Over the past 10 years I have helped individuals who have been plagued by the memories of past events to permanently release the disruptive energy imprints of such memories from their energy bio-fields.A special and interesting case of such release pertains to situations where an individual has within them a construct that is referred to as an "inner child" that is still in need of nurturing or healing. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) At a Glance Most narcissists (75%) are men.NPD is one of a "family" of personality disorders (formerly known as "Cluster B"). The Joan of Arc Complex Sometimes I think that I have a mental health problem and that at any minute the pharmaceutical companies are going to develop a cute little green star-shaped pill to cure me of my ailment. I call it my Joan of Arc Complex. Gay Men Psychology Gay men are said to be usually third or further born from the same mother. You might wish to check it out sometime. Why Does It Seem That There Are More Children With ADHD Than Ever Before? Even though the percentage of people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is likely the same as in the past, there are three likely reasons why it seems that "there is more ADHD" than ever before: First, we become more aware of problems like this as parents than we were as a children. We have grown up now and we are more concerned about these issues since we have our own children. Intro to Being an ADHD Parent In my fifteen years of private practice working with children with ADHD, one of the common concerns that I observed by parents was the fear that they had done something, or failed to do something, that caused their child's ADHD. I guess it is normal to blame yourself when your child is having problems. Robotic Bonding Thru Human First Love Memory Replication Many Science Fiction authors have discussed in many works the issues with robotic assistants and companions. Today we see DARPA awarding a contract to a group of artificial intelligence software gurus to put together a computer assistant, which can read any manual and then explain in human terms what it says. Cult De-Programming? The following good work from a person engaged in trying to free people from cultish programming is far better than most. It demonstrates the person is aware of mind control techniques employed in influencing people. Accepting New Ideas Much of the time when a new idea comes to us, we handle that idea and move on, without ever becoming consciously aware of the process. During the times when we are consciously aware of the process of handling a new idea, we often reject that idea without understanding why we rejected it, or sometimes without even understanding that we did reject it. Randomness of Human Thought Random thought Sequence in the Human Mind. I want to comment on an article about Random Sequence in the Mathematical Association of America Newsletter in January 2002. Is China Testing Bio Weapons on Its Own People? Well the conspiracy theorists are out in full force I see. I had an interesting meeting the other day at a coffee shop and talked with a highly paranoid chap, who claimed to have some real insider information. How Big of a Problem is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - "ADD" or "ADHD" - affects between five to ten percent (5% - 10%) of all children in the United States, and three to six percent (3% - 6%) of adults. About 35% of all children referred to mental health clinics are referred for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, making it one of the most prevalent of all childhood psychiatric disorders. Animal to Animal Telepathy There has been much study on Telepathy in the animal kingdom. Many have experienced telepathy from human to human.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
