To find DHs approach to life mystifying

[Sparry]

So. We are idly chatting about school. Left brain / right brain stuff. I said what I liked about maths was that it was one of the few things in life you could get 100 percent right. DHs response was to ask why that was important. He wasn't being sarcastic. He genuinely couldn't understand why I found it satisfying.

How do you deal with that?. It's like we're from different planets

I would really really struggle to find this in any way important. Is it not just the same as you liking cheese and him not? You sound like kind of hard work.

What, Mars and Venus?

you could get 100% in a spelling test

I got 98% in a history exam once.

But isn't maths like any science, it portrays itself as being 100% right, but it's actually a lot about theories and stuff?

It's more than just about 0-9 numbers, it's the concepts behind the numbers that's the important thing?

And those things can change.

(not sure how that fits into your OP, I was just thinking on it the other day )

The example you've given doesn't seem like such a big deal and it's a bit hard to tell whether this is a serious or lighthearted thread.

But strangely not 100% in a multiple choice Uni exam, as they take some marks off because its a multiple choice ??? I could never fathom that one

I would try not to worry about it too much!

It mystified me how dp can actually enjoy watching football when it is so obviously boring. I just accept he does.

It doesn't matter if he can't understand why you find it satisfying. As long as he understands that you do and he accepts and respects that, then it's enough.

My dh is from a different planet too. I have no idea, honestly cannot get my head around why on earth he finds it entertaining to watch three hours of the same cars driving round the same the same track every time a grand Prix day comes around.

But he tells me it is immensely enjoyable, so I just have to believe him.

I'm with your DH. Why is it so important to get things 100% right? Loads of things in life can be hugely satisfying even if you don't get them right. Things that we do for fun and relaxation for starters - much more fun if you don't take them too seriously and get over-competitive.

My DH is a total maths nut - he loves everything about maths. I was rubbish at maths at school - I was much more into English and history. Different planets maybe, but still 100% right!

I have very little interest in science... my husband is fascinated by it, the same goes for football.

He has very little understanding of turning the available edible contents of the kitchen into a meal.. he knows what he wants to eat, but actually calculating cooking times and ending up with a meal is beyond him and he has no interest in learning it.

I am also picky and pedantic about spelling in books, and continuity on television programmes, whereas he is not bothered by things like that at all.

I think you're right Agent. But the last time I did well at maths was when I was 16. It all got a bit conceptual for me at A level & I couldn't think in 3 dimensions. There was that brief period though ( sighs nostalgically )

In fairness DH can't understand my lack of fascination with Forest's fortunes and why I don't get the SODs law references.

Dh is an engineer so the maths is his department, he is however absolute toss at English which is more my thing neither of us would get our knickers in a twist at the other over these things though.......

Beauty is defined by lack of perfection.

That is why I don't like maths.

I hate maths with a passion, I'm more into trying to harness the unharnessable in social science

But just out of the people I know, the ones who see things as black/white, science instead of belief, pedantry instead of seeing language as fluid, (and this is an important part of their identity that they like other people knowing about them/defining them as) are fucking irritating really inflexible and run around in circles flapping as soon as anything happens in their lives that's in the grey area.

They can't get their heads round the unpredictability.

'how do you deal with that'

I am genuinely in shock that it's such an issue

iawtop

numbers are such well behaved little things

How do you deal with that? You shrug your shoulders and you say well, we feel differently about it. And you both respect the other person's pov and understand that they DO feel that way, even though you don't understand WHY.

and then you laugh because you realise that it really doesn't matter at all. All that matters is that you both respect each other's view and understand that each of you has the right to hold it, neither of you has the right view and neither has the wrong one.

Actually the only even remotely shocking or incomprehensible thing anyone has said on this thread is "I have very little interest in science..."

How can anyone say that!

Maths is just a tool used to describe things an can never be 100% correct. Saying 'that table is 4'6" across' is no more 100% correct than saying 'that table is brown'. Both are approximations with the precision of the statement selected depending on the situation.

Oh contrare, King and AgentZigzag. I love maths because any proof is absolute and final. A theorem is proven by a series of logical arguments and will always and forever be 100% correct. It is just pure and true.

On the other hand, science is never knowingly correct. It is just theory backed up by experiments and observations, which remain open to be disproved at any time.

Really, Really????????????? this is an issue for you.

How do you deal with that?

You don't. Owing to the fact that it doesn't matter.

fiddle The calculation may be correct, but that does not mean that anything is proven any more than correct spelling and grammar makes a written statement true.