I was denied a mathematics education, for real. I can't even do long division, nevermind that squiggly F shit. I thought that stuff was only for astrophysicists.
I want to learn basic maths, but I'm in a 'learned helplessness' mindset where I can't even get through basic sums and equations intended for children (I'm old as fuck now).
I was diagnosed with autism a few years back, which kinda made no sense. I would have expected rainman powers, but numbers just don't jive with my cunt of a brain. Maths is as inscrutable to me as people's faces or social cues.
Most of the math I do at work is related to compound interest. Of all the math I believe the general public should understand, the concept of how paying interest to others is a total screw would get my top vote.
I have a co-worker who took out a car loan last week at, wait for it, FIFTY THREE PERCENT INTEREST! No concept of what that was costing her. She could only see, "I can afford the monthly payment."
(1 + r)^n and its friend 1/(1 + r)^n have been the two most important concepts in work and personal life that I've ever learned and applied.
As an actuarie this meme is kinda true but mostly false. I had classes on some advanced maths like ordinary differential equations that have never use on my day to day job. But, the actuarial sciences math in collage was elementary school level of abstraction compared with the real world. There's still a lot of excel tho, but I'm cool and use python (pandas) wherever I can.
It always gets mez the older I get I better realize how Jank my education was,
Elementary school taught me addition,
Middle School Taught me multiplication
Junior High Taught me pre-algebra
College is teaching me addition, but with common core
One day, maybe for my bachelor's I'll learn some of those funny math symbols.....but not today
As an Applied Mathematician I feel both seen and attacked by this. At least I get to play with novel analysis because the company I work for is pretty niche.