Being Bad at Math Gives Us Freedom

Math proficiency is a superpower that allows us see into the future and to understand the past. Only 41% of our 4th graders and 34% of 8th graders are math proficient.

Being BAD at math gives people the freedom and confidence to say things that are blatantly untrue with a straight face. Being BAD at math gives us the super-power to laugh at those who have carefully proven their cases with math. Being bad at math gives us the super-freedom to “prove” complex claims with mere anecdotes.

Every day it becomes clearer to me that our innumeracy explains much of our country’s rampant dysfunction.

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Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Avatar of Renee
    Renee

    Yeah it’s astonishing to me how proud people can be of their ignorance.

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