Why don't we want our children to learn to do mathematics? Is it that we don't trust them, that we think it's too hard? We seem to feel that they are capable of making arguments and coming to their own conclusions about Napoleon. Why not about triangles?

Paul Lockhart
About This Quote

This quote is taken from Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist , in which the main character, Santiago, asks his friend the reason why his father doesn't want him to learn math. His father replies that he doesn't trust his son's ability to understand mathematics. This is a bit of a flawed logic. Being able to calculate the angles of triangles is not the same as being able to express them graphically. Learning about triangles will allow one to make logical conclusions about them, but it does not make one an expert on them.

Source: A Mathematicians Lament: How School Cheats Us Out Of Our Most Fascinating And Imaginative Art Form

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