Mal12345
Permabanned
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2011
- Messages
- 14,532
- MBTI Type
- IxTP
- Enneagram
- 5w4
- Instinctual Variant
- sx/sp
I think there's a stereotype regarding INTPs that they all love their mathematics. I'm sure that's true to an extent, but it should be kept in mind that math problems are usually extremely detailed, and details are not the strong suit of an Intuitive type.
My high school algebra teacher was an ESTJ. He was completely fixated on the details of doing math problems such that he forced us students to concentrate primarily on the procedural aspects of problem solving. And since this methodology does appeal to the "conventional" Holland Codes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia side of me to this day, I am a firm believer in it - despite the fact that it doesn't work for me!
My algebra teacher pounded into our immature skulls the details of solving algebra problems. I understand the concepts. But when applying the concepts I get bogged down in the details. This often means I end up with the wrong answer. Understanding the concepts, but not being able to faithfully apply the teacher's concepts, I ended up as a B student in algebra. And this despite the fact that I loved algebra.
This teacher did not deal well with students who solve algebra problems intuitively. Here's an example I overheard in one of his classes:
Teacher to Student A: "What's the answer to this problem?"
Student A: "32 + X" (or whatever it was.)
Teacher: "That's right. But how did you arrive at this answer?"
Student A: (I don't recall what he said.)
Teacher: "Although your answer was correct, you arrived at it intuitively. That's your mistake."
How could it be a mistake to get the right answer? Simple - the student could not demonstrate the proof of his answer. So as far as the teacher was concerned, he just pulled the answer out of his ass.
INTPs love mathematics when it enables them to exercise their intuitive capabilities, the ability to just "see" the answer. The methodology is as personal and individual as intuition itself, and can't be taught.
My high school algebra teacher was an ESTJ. He was completely fixated on the details of doing math problems such that he forced us students to concentrate primarily on the procedural aspects of problem solving. And since this methodology does appeal to the "conventional" Holland Codes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia side of me to this day, I am a firm believer in it - despite the fact that it doesn't work for me!
My algebra teacher pounded into our immature skulls the details of solving algebra problems. I understand the concepts. But when applying the concepts I get bogged down in the details. This often means I end up with the wrong answer. Understanding the concepts, but not being able to faithfully apply the teacher's concepts, I ended up as a B student in algebra. And this despite the fact that I loved algebra.
This teacher did not deal well with students who solve algebra problems intuitively. Here's an example I overheard in one of his classes:
Teacher to Student A: "What's the answer to this problem?"
Student A: "32 + X" (or whatever it was.)
Teacher: "That's right. But how did you arrive at this answer?"
Student A: (I don't recall what he said.)
Teacher: "Although your answer was correct, you arrived at it intuitively. That's your mistake."
How could it be a mistake to get the right answer? Simple - the student could not demonstrate the proof of his answer. So as far as the teacher was concerned, he just pulled the answer out of his ass.
INTPs love mathematics when it enables them to exercise their intuitive capabilities, the ability to just "see" the answer. The methodology is as personal and individual as intuition itself, and can't be taught.