so, if we turn around, and rephrase life in systematic ways, can we better understand what’s happening?
that is, there is a lot written about life being this, or being that; is there a way to abstract, to transcend, to rise above, to distill, and by doing so, grow peace?
can we make sense of the world in a way that is robust enough to last centuries, millennia, rather than decades?
the answer is, perhaps yes
perhaps there _is_ a system so advanced, so robust, so flexible, that no whim of time can crack it
and whatever name we give to this system, whatever term we apply, nonetheless it is even more abstract than /that/, because it supercedes as soon as a label has been thrown; it accepts and morphs, integrates and becomes more than even that, like an uncontainable Gödel number
and thus, regardless of past uses, regardless of indoctrination, of dogma, of pressing of thumb on curiosity, the concept may itself be even bigger than such definition, or rather, it _is_ bigger
and yet, it does have a term
and unfortunately, in some cases overloading of meanings can be detrimental, like a rose smelling less sweet by having a lower name
and this can present a problem, a barrier; those that have seen past are enthusiastic; those that have not regard with suspicion
nonetheless, the barrier _can_ be transcended; there is no need to have blinders, to see without seeing
and this barrier has doubts; it perpetuates itself; it is a meme (information packet) of an erasable nature; it keeps itself alive (i.e., continuing to replicate) by encouraging mistrust; the barrier succeeds if it succeeds in creating division between sharers and sharees
good wins in the end because it cooperates
so regardless of the techniques of this barrier to term, it will perish through sharers refining, through better effects arising
what term in the past has there been a barrier for?
what term for the idea of a patterning of nature, an inherent deep structure, a way of reflecting on life as nonrandom, as deeply understandable?
“mathematics”
such may seem foreboding, but having just elucidated the replicative advantages of the barrier-meme, consider the implications of a removal of some of the overloading of (less helpful) meaning
for mathematics is pattern
mathematics is abstraction
it is a lifting off from the immanent to the transcendent, in order to generalize and apply elsewhere
mathematics is the study of patterns
patterns are things that repeat
therefore, whenever you are interested in why something repeats, you are doing math
goodness.
there are abstractions that are more helpful, and abstractions that are less helpful
understanding math to be what has been taught in schools is like understanding art to be what is taught in schools; art is infinitely varied; math is infinitely varied
do not subscribe to archaic models; if singular “they” will win, think in terms of it having already won, even while living in a time where some lag
and mathematics as art, as the study of patterns, will win, because it _works_
there is great power in seeing patterns, in expecting patterns, in finessing patterns to desired ends
realize that barrier-meme against math is not against the study of patterns; it is a resistance to less helpful endeavors, which is a valid approach
so, in truth, it may be helpful to re-term not mathematics-as-pattern-study, but less-helpful-school-math.
we can call it “school math”
we can call the art taught in school “school art”
just as we would not say school art is representative of /Art/, so we do not say school math is representative of /Math/
and so mathematics (the study of patterns) we can abstract from school math and set school math aside and not consider it unless we need it; the study of patterns in your own personal life outweighs necessity of algebraic geometry, regardless of career
and “the study of patterns in your own life” shows the depth of the model of what mathematics is and why school math should be unhesitantly shifted from focus as to what /math/ is; again, regardless of career
(in certain cases “school math” may overlap with “career math”; both are subsets of “mathematics as the study of patterns”)
so, think of /mathematics/ as much, much bigger, than school math, because it is
thinking in terms of the world, your life, as lots and lots of patterns gives you incredible flexibility and robustness in this eternally accelerating changing existence
studying your life like this, like you are composed of many deeply connected patterns, lets you change yourself and your personal experience with much more finesse
so do it
do this greater Mathematics
set school math aside and become a studier of the patterns in your life
why do you do the things you do?
why do you feel the things you feel?
why do you have the life you have?
are these not questions about patterns?
what things are repeating, that make your life up?
consider this framework and you have unlocked vast reserves, for patterns are deep, and everywhere, and everything
/you/ are patterns.
and that is why you should study them; that is why you should think about patterns
why are you the way you are? what things are making you repeat certain patterns?
this is mathematics, proper mathematics, /life mathematics/, rather than school math
school teachers that make up absurd excuses for utilities of school math, such as for time or money, degrade the proper idea of math: mathematics as the study of patterns, which is always applicable to every endeavor, for all things are patterns, and understanding /why/ and /how/ they repeat gives power over them
teachers teach proper math, this is my opinion.
and that is why the overloading of the term “math”, the conflation of “school math” and “mathematics as the study of patterns”, is so dishonest
loving proper mathematics is powerful; it gives finesse to your goals
want to understand why things in your life are repeating; this is life mathematics
in essence, love math and you are deepening your understanding of your own self