MDAO Forum

Support for People with Mood Disorders => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pleeb on February 02, 2015, 06:46:26 pm

Title: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: Pleeb on February 02, 2015, 06:46:26 pm
A person can change/it's never too late.

A professor in the U.S. wrote a book on how to do math and science even though you flunked them in school, as she did.  (me too)  I can find the title later.

Anyway, she had a B.A. in Slavic Studies, decided at age 26 or so to learn math and science on her own, even though she flunked them in school.

She now has Ph.D. in engineering!


Peter
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: Pleeb on February 02, 2015, 06:49:18 pm
Re "it's never too late," I didn't think I had any musical talent until my early 40's (keyboard).
Before that, I started learning instruments on my own, usually giving up after a while.....no particular reason, I guess.
I'm 68 in June.

I've been slacking off keyboard for years, trying ukulele lately.  I'm back on keyboard, maybe try the uke the odd time, but hard on the left hand fingers  :-\, especially if I'm rusty.

Peter
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: paulm on February 03, 2015, 01:06:39 am
Hello Peter. I'm sorta neutral about those types of books. On one hand I agree with them on the other hand I don't think I'll be realizing my childhood dream of being an all star right winger in the NHL any time soon, no matter how much I want to change LOL.

 However it is an interesting subject and thx for posting it. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: messee on February 06, 2015, 10:00:39 pm
Hey Pleeb,

Can you find that book title for us?
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: Pleeb on February 08, 2015, 01:51:53 am
Ok.....Peter
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: Pleeb on February 10, 2015, 08:59:55 pm
Found it.

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
         by Barbara Oakley


Peter
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: messee on February 19, 2015, 08:13:03 pm
thanks
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: Pleeb on February 22, 2015, 06:26:09 pm
Paul M....I'm also sorta neutral.

BUT, I always wonder if my mathaphobia was a mental block.


Peter
Title: Re: A person can change/it's never too late.
Post by: paulm on February 22, 2015, 11:50:28 pm
Hello Peter.I don't know why our mind blocks out some things and not others. It may be a case of we don't like a subject .  I know I have no musical skills because I never cared enough about the music to develop them. However I liked math and did excellent until university and I ran into advanced calculus. I passed but barely, I just couldn't wrap my brain around the more abstract ideas of advanced calculus.

 Like wise trying to learn french, I liked french, studied it so much that I was able to read in french, but I never could speak it well and I never could take part in a proper conversation.  My brain just wouldn't allow me to think in french and I sure tried.

 On the other hand,  I've known artists that were extremely gifted doing art, theater, song, dance etc, but who I wouldn't let change the oil in my car. No mechanical aptitude they might drain the radiator and fill it with oil. 

 I suspect that our individual brains are as guided by genes and envoirnment as our physical abilities are. I mean someone who is 5 ft tall and weighs 100 lbs is never going to lift a 500 lb weight. However that same person may have a terrific athletic ability in another area that a 6ft 250 lber could never do (say being a jockey). He/she, just wasn't given the genes to grow to the size required. I suspect it's the same with our brains. No matter how much we try to do some types of heavy lifting our individual brains just may not be able to do it. Doesn't mean we are dumb, we just don't have the requirements to be able to do that task. Take Care. paul m