Imagine this…
You’re at a a party. Someone asks you what you do. You say, “I’m an undertaker’s assistant. And what do you do?”
They say they teach English.
You say, “Oh wow. I have always HATED English. I can’t even read the street signs!”
The guy a few feet away overhears this and joins in the conversation: “I know, right! I tried to read and write stuff in high school, but it just never worked for me. I finally decided that English wasn’t my thing.”
You respond with: “Yeah, when I go to a restaurant I ask the waiter to explain everything. So many letters! I don’t understand how you teach such a dreadful subject. I’m so sorry for you.”
Have you ever done that? Seen it? No doubt you’ve seen with with math.
Why can you say, “I hate math” but not “I can’t read”?
Why is it acceptable, even cool, to be “bad at math” but those who can’t read or write stay in the proverbial closet?
It’s time to come out, y’all. If we can’t get people to stop saying “I hate math” then let’s water it down by saying “I hate <anything else>.”
The next time you’re at a party and someone tells you what they do, respond with, “Wow, I’m so sorry for you. I’ve always hated <field/career>. You must be miserable!”
The more we all do this, the more people will stop giving credence to the words “I hate…” Soon the phrase “I hate math” will be extinguished.
What do you think? Can you do it? Will it work? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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