[NF] Any NFs who didn't totally hate math?

[nightning]

A close friend of mine is an INFJ. He sucks at arithmetic, especially of the mental-calculation variety. He really enjoys advanced graduate mathematics.

Interesting... I have the same experience with arithmetic... show me a bunch of numbers and ask me to add or subtract them quickly and I'll start panicking. I was fairly good at math in high school though, so long as I have my trusty sidekick... *hugs her scientific calculator*

I'm not bad with reading graphs and figures... I squeaked in an A in multivariable calc class a couple of years back. Being able to visualize figures and mentally slice and rotate them made the understanding easier. Although I have to say I've completely forgotten everything on calc now... XP

In short, Mathematics has never been my most favourite subject in school. However I still did fairly well in it.

 

[OctaviaCaesar]

I hated math until the fourth time I took algebra, and I began to "get" it. For some reason I loved physics, too.

 

[scantilyclad]

I hated math until the fourth time I took algebra, and I began to "get" it. For some reason I loved physics, too.

lol i took algebra 4 times too. i still haven't grasped any of it. Physics wasn't any better. I was lucky that i didn't need it to graduate.

 

[cascadeco]

I'm definitely a math person. I was always a differential equations fan.

Wow! Me too!

Oh dear god, I'm horrible at mental arithmetic. And I hate it! Because it makes me sound like a retard who doesn't know how add/subtract...etc. I don't know why, but my ability to do math in my head has slipped drastically in the last few years. Guess it's just not that important that I don't use it enough.

Me too. In fact my slothlike manner in computing scrabble scores mentally over the past yr or so has begun to put fear in me!! I mean, I was never good at it, but now that I haven't needed to do math for over 7 yrs, I'm much worse!

 

[GZA]

No, I really can't stand math. My teacher was worried at the beginning of the year when I said I was taking math so I would never have to do it again, and that I did not like anything about math, but she has since foudn that I'm actually pretty positive. I am positive, because thats the best way to get the math done so I never have to think about it again. As soon as I finish grade 11 math, I'm never touching it again. In fact, I might burn my notes to celebrate

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I really love math, but didn't go very far in my study - only through college algebra. I recently bought all the quick study guides through Calculus, but who knows if i'll ever have the time to learn it. If i were crazy rich and never had to worry about investing in things to pay the bills, i might focus on studying math. It is so beautiful, perfect, and one of the few things in the world that actually makes sense, that you can count on. I get math munchies when the world makes the least sense to me.

 

[niffer]

I'd never choose it as my career path, (I'd die of boredom) but in school most of it clicked relatively easily for me. And there was something so nice about being able to complete 30 little questions this hour or whatever. It made me feel accomplished. Instead of silly essays which took you two hours and you were still in the middle of it.

Yes...exactly.

Thing is, I make so many little mistakes all the time.

edit: then again...I like a lot of things..

 

[substitute]

I don't know about NF's who like math, but here's an NT who hates it

Actually, my brother (ENFP) was always good at math. I don't think he really loved it though. He's just generally good at most things, which doesn't mean he likes them all. I know the feeling

 

[GZA]

One thing I should add is that my dislike of math gets multiplied by the classroom setting. I have it last period, so by the end of the day I'm tired and I'm sick of being surrounded by people (in classrooms, in the halls, it gets claustrophobic), so I have a bit of a hard time concentrating, particularly because my teacher is extremely extraverted and likes the class to really discuss things and work in groups. I find that I don't dislike it so much when I work one on one with my tutor, and I understand it much better, too. I still don't enjoy it, though.

 

[Scruffy1123]

Math is wonderful! I absolutely love almost every aspect of math, from simple arithmetic (there is so much in just the fact that we have this concept we call math!) to differential equations, abstract algebra, and very fun proofs.
There was one math class I didn't like - Linear Algebra. It wasn't because the material wasn't fun, but because the proofs often rested on just one little characteristic or detail that didn't seem important. The answers often held no conceptual meaning for me. I like thinking about math, math philosophy, reading about the math cult of Pythagoras... amazing stuff! And now that I sound like more of a nerd than I have since undergrad, it's time to stop...

 

[TaylorS]

Plato, an INFJ, was big on geometry.

 

[Mempy]

I don't hate math. I didn't like it for a long time, but that was because I wasn't very good at it. I earned all A's in math, but that was through rote memorization.

When I started teaching math to myself using my college textbook, I started appreciating it. When I understand a subject, I usually like it, and I think part of what used to form a ball of ice in my stomach whenever I thought of math was that I didn't understand it, and I knew it, deep down. What was frustrating was that I didn't realize all I was doing was memorizing how to solve equations, rather than really understanding the equation and all its components. Math is partly memorization, but it's mostly understanding.

It's satisfying to learn and be at peace with subject that you've always had so much fear toward, if only because it means, "Yes, I can!"

I'm taking elementary algebra this year, which is basically high school math. When I learned algebra the first time, I never really understood it, I only memorized, which led to me easily and quickly forgetting everything. So I have to relearn it, because it's almost as if I never learned it in the first place. I think part of it is needing a good textbook that explains things well, and the biggest part of it is setting aside time to actually learn it and understand it, rather than simply memorizing a trick or two.

So yeah, math always terrified me, even with all my comical, ironic A's. I knew I was a fraud, deep down. Now I am less of one!

 

[CzeCze]

Enjoy or Excel at?

I've noticed lately lot of NFs saying how they hated math. I liked math, it wasn't my best subject in school, but once I got to algebra it got easier for me. Before then I couldn't stand it, but once it started making since, I liked it. Now I'll never major in it or base my career off of it, but sometimes I enjoyed algebra just because all you had to do was balance the equation.

I enjoyed and still enjoy algebra, which to me is more like a game. Arithmetic can also be fun as a brain warm up. Overall I feel like I'm really weak at math as it confuses me. I really want to understand the 'why' behind things and I can't grasp numbers. I know that I don't completely totally suck at math because I scored well on standardized tests through highschool and statistically I scored higher than a good chunk of my peers. I just feel I struggle with it though. The irony is that I qualified as a tutor to teach math on highschool level standardized tests. Hee hee.

Oh, I was horrible at Geometry and I even TRIED. I think my spatial sense isn't so hot.

I'm very good at practical mathematics and that's the extent of it. Like figuring out how to split a bill with friends including tax at 15% or 20% or 25% percent (has to be in multiples of 5 to make it easier, or else the estimate will be very rough). I was a nerd in highschool and did 'brain bowl' and even though my teammates were all in high level math like AP Calculus, I could crunch those kinds of questions (this is on sale for X percent then it's on sale for X percent, how much is the total now?) in my head MUCH faster than them. I figure unless in a math intensive field, you only need math in as much as it's practical. So I'm happy with my grasp on math.

I flunked Precalculus. Partly because it was my last semester of highschool and I was already accepted to college. I completely stopped paying attention to class after the 1st chapter. I didn't even know what a 'parabola' was when the teacher started drawing those graphs on the projector.

And I did NOT take ANY quantitative classes in college, no math, no science.

I did take an accounting class taught by a CPA recently. OMG, I shoved information in my brain like a soggy sponge and the poor thing could take no more. Now THAT is confusing.

 

[paradox]

As an ENFP I have always enjoyed statistics, you can make them sing and dance and say whatever you want.

They also provide some proof. I love stats. Memorized player stats as a kid and enjoyed taking stats in college and figuring out what the numbers mean. Cool.

 

[Domino]

I actually found a lot of calm in being able to crunch electronic data. Repetitive formulas with multiple steps that required that I pay attention but with predictable outcome. Trouble is -- I have a form of dyslexia that makes computational problems into the 7th ring of hell.

 

[Cordiform]

I've always hated math. It's absolutely confounding to me. So is chemistry and microbiology. Too many details!

But I can do lightning-quick arithmetic in my head.