As a Statistician/MBSR practitioner who is very passionate about both Mathematics and the mental wellbeing of people around me, I have tried to draw possible links between the different fields as they are complementary aspects of my own weird/unique personality. I also wrote this after sleeping for only three hours.
Importance of Knowledge and its application
Knowledge alongside the will to acquire knowledge for the greater good of oneself and others is possibly the most important skill humans need to have. Knowledge is very important because it enhances our thinking. If we already know about something, our response becomes automatic, and this frees up space in the working memory. Knowledge or accurate knowledge, I should say will also allow people to reason and think in a very critical way. With the current technology we possess right now, it’s very easy to be exposed to information which will enable people to be knowledgeable. Therefore, if technology is used correctly, it’d very possible for people to be very knowledgeable, reasonable, and critical thinkers. The current era is fundamentally an era where there are lots of possibilities for humans.
Role of Mathematics
In this big picture of knowledge creation and application, Mathematics plays an important role in being a critical thinker and taking objective decisions free from bias as much as possible. Given that the systematic way of processing isn’t influenced in any way by personal bias, it becomes the tool which can allow us to make better decisions objectively and create a world free of bias and eventually a world free of conflict. A few ways in which Mathematics can be used in decision making can be found below:
- What does correlation mean and how to measure correlation coefficients for different types of data
- What does causation mean, how it is different from correlation, and how to prove causation
- How to statistically test a hypothesis, and the statistical conditions underlying hypothesis testing
You will also find in the image below the jobs requiring Mathematics skills.
Developing meaning out of Mathematics
However, I’d argue that Mathematics changes humans in ways which are more meaningful and important than the conventional models described above. The essence of solving is about finding solutions to problems. In Mathematics, if we are getting the right solution, the sets of steps don’t matter. In the solving process, creativity gets developed through Mathematics. Furthermore, it develops this resilience to keep trying till we get the desired outcome, and this is an evolutionary thing. As a species, we must push ourselves to be better if we want to survive. So, in that sense, it’s training us to reach that optimum level as a species even if this statement is rather a romantic way of looking at Mathematics.
Biologically, it’s also good for the brain. Recent research by Dr. Tanya Evans of Stanford University shows, “Children who know math are able to recruit certain brain regions more reliably, and have greater Gray matter volume in those regions, than those who perform more poorly in math. Hence, it becomes more obvious that the study of Mathematics is more than just a certain set of skills which are beneficial for certain jobs. It’s actually like another sense given to us to experience the reality around us.
Traits of Mathematicians and emotional well being
Mathematicians are often seen as eccentric, obsessed personalities with a beautiful mind but one which is overcharged. How true is this?
Based on a survey of 557 Mathematicians, the following was concluded:
Mathematicians tend to be predominantly investigative individuals, which means that they are quite inquisitive and curious people that often like to spend time alone with their thoughts. They also tend to be conventional, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment.
https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/mathematician/personality/
I wrote the term objectivist in the opening paragraph. I will now explore the hypothesis that Mathematics not only improves Gray matter in the brain as Dr Evans pointed out in the paragraph above. It also gives the power to regulate emotions in us. This idea is developed in the following research:
Undertaken at Duke University, the research found that engaging the brain in mental exercises involving mathematics is associated with better emotional health.
For this, 186 participants underwent a type of brain scanning called functional imaging, while solving mathematical problems from memory, and then completed tests for assessing their mental health status and emotional coping strategies. The results showed that the participants had a higher ability to adapt their thoughts in relation to emotionally difficult situations when they activated specific regions of the brain while performing mental mathematic exercises.
Matthew Scult, the main author of the study, says:
“Our work provides the first direct evidence that the ability to regulate emotions like fear and anger reflects the brain’s ability to make numerical calculations in real time.
We can conclude that Mathematics is more than just axioms, proofs, numbers or tools. I’d say that it’s an interesting system which will help us to understand ourselves and the world.
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