In Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers he discusses a common stereotype that we all know: "Asians are good at math." He explains that it's not the fact that they are Asian makes them good at math, it's the fact that their culture has a strong influence on their success. For example, unlike the English language in which our number system is highly irregular, the number systems in places such as China, Japan, and Korea are more logical and regular, thus leading to Asian children being capable of learning how to count faster and to use basic functions, such as addition, more easily compared to American children. The logical number system also tends to cause Asians to find math more enjoyable and to be more willing to solve hard problems.The fact that Asian languages give a strong early advantage which, like the age advantage of hockey players as discussed in an earlier chapter, grows gradually over time and leads to success.
Another factor, is that Asian culture emphasizes hard work will lead to success. Gladwell uses the example of rice paddies to display the work ethic of Asians. He explains that in order for their rice paddy to yield a sufficient amount of rice, farmers must put in hours of hard work and concentration so that they can have enough to sell and eat. He goes on to explain that those who are able to concentrate and take the time to analyze the problem are more successful at solving problems. This ties into the 10,000 hours of practice that Gladwell discussed earlier where those that became successful practiced or studied their skill for at least this amount of time.
As it is stated in the book, "being good at math is not about having "it" or not, it is about your willingness to work hard." I do think that being good with math has to do with hard work, but I also think that it has to also do with being born with the skill. Although hard work does really pay off, does it really work with math? Aren't there times where you try your hardest to solve a problem and you still can't figure it out? Do you think that the people that are good at math are really just born with it? Do you really think that being Asian gives people an advantage at being better at math?
As I read that chapter I felt a light bulb go off on my head. I thought, "So that's why they're good at math!" I agree with you that you can be born with the skill of mathematics. However, I do think that hard work does pay off. Math is one of my least favorite subjects because my mind processes the information really slowly and as a result I feel stupid. However, I have learned to get over the fact that I am a slow thinker in math and have instead worked really hard (and long) in comprehending it. Though it may seem like you can't figure out a math problem, you just need to work harder.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with you girls that math is a skill one is born with. I believe from infancy, the more one's parents teach them about language, math, animals, the world in general, etc., the smarter and more potential they will have as they grow older. Instead of being born with math skills, I believe it is learned at a young age which affects one's ability to do math as they grow older. An understanding of math can be achieved by one who was not taught it as a child, but it takes a large amount of hard work.
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