Quote:
Originally Posted by jbjb
Perhaps because an understanding of mathematics is unquestionably useful in later life, whether or not you like it, whereas knowing a few Shakespeare quotes is of debatable value if the process has put you off reading more widely.
Having said that, I do think it is a shame that more kids don't come out of school with more enjoyment of maths. That's not solely the fault of the way it's taught, however - at least here in the UK there's a widespread feeling (in some circles) that while not knowing the aforementioned Shakespeare quotes bars you from a claim to be educated, "I can't do maths" is somehow a badge of honour and is no such bar.
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Sadly, loudly announcing your ignorance of all fields of science and humanities seems to be a badge of honour for a certain segment of society. Not being one of the "intelligentsia" appears to be a desirable goal. I remember in the years following the publication of Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" there was a fad for announcing how few pages you'd abandoned it after.