Thread by @lizadixon

I wonder what % of adults who say they are "bad at math" are just hanging on to their middle/high school-age-beliefs, which they're allowing to fuel their present day idea about their abilities 🤔

Thinking about this a lot today.

Related/unrelated, a thread about me 👇

As a kid I was an average student. I really struggled with math. Wasn't very good at traditional arts (i.e. drawing) either

The polarization of math brains vs. art brains & the idea that these are "innate talents" left me sentenced to a life with no academic identity

At 8, my school made us select an instrument to play. I chose the oboe, mostly because I was told it was difficult (I have always been stubborn). I ended up being a straight superior oboeist, a first for my school. Interesting, because music combines both math & art. Anyway…

Somehow found myself as a design major in college (surrounded by insanely skilled classmates). The 1st day of class we had to draw our 👟. I sat there, frozen. The prof came over & drew a rough outline of my 👟 out of pity. It was obvious that I was the worst student in class.

I had to work extra hard to learn how to “see”, to translate, design...but it worked. At the end of my studies I placed 2nd in the regional AIGA portfolio review, 1st in my class. I was for the first time referred to as creative, artistic.

No. It was time, focus, stubbornness.

Later, I was rejected from a job after college because, “You are very right-brained and we are looking for someone more left-brained for this role.”

Well, shucks.

Yrs later, I found myself working towards a MS. Math was thrust upon me again for the 1st time in years. Using the soft skills I picked up from the arts, I took on math. It worked. I was suddenly referred to as smart, engineering-brained.

No. Time, focus, stubbornness.

My only innate talent if any is stubbornness (persistence).

When you’re a kid, especially a girl, I think that’s not always seen as a good trait. It's not particularly encouraged.

But the positive correlation between stubbornness & success is clear, imo.

I think we do kids (especially the stubborn ones) a favor when we encourage them to pursue their interests & defend their ideas

Deeply held belief: Categorizing individuals as having an art brain or math brain is extremely outdated & limiting. There is such a thing as a natural inclination towards something. ex: A toddler that is v good at drawing w/o training (+is constantly encouraged, another topic...)

It's romantic to think math or art is a "gift"

My point is, that these skills are not gilded, unreachable towers. There is always a way to get there, if you really want to.

Time, focus…stubbornness