Any INFJs that are good at maths?

I'm good at Intuitive math, I suck at math otherwise. Sometimes I just know what I need to do to solve the equation and get the answer. I can't show my work since I don't know what I did exactly, other than add and subtract a variety of things.

Theoretical Math I'm horrible at - Calculus, Algebra, etc. If two trains travel in opposite directions at... my mind always thinks in terms of, "one train can hit a car, get derailed and never make its destination... so who cares?!"

Strangely enough, I'm good at and enjoy at Statistics.
 
Tips for INFJs dealing with Math

As a Computer Science major, I have to deal with math quite a bit. Unfortunately, I took the wrong approaches and got Cs in calculus. I am now retaking the entire the entire series.

Here are some tips.

  1. Quiet your mind. I learned that the main reason I wasn't doing well was because I wasn't in the moment focused on the problem. As a high N, my brain fluctuates between feely-inuition to left-brain algorithmic processing. For Calculus, Algebra, Trigonometry, you need to be able to think sequentially. Therefore, doing a little meditation or taking Adderall might help quiet your "right brain".
  2. Don't over-think it. I over-think problems and make them more puzzling/abstract than the instructor/textbook intended them to be. Take a step by step process to solving it. Create an algorithm (sequence of instructions) and do it explicitly on paper. For example, if you are converting a parametric equation (y(t)=sin^(t); x(t)=cos^(t) into Cartesian, don't let your mind imagine what the graph will look like, as we Ns tend to do. This is a very Sensing oriented task. You need to remember the trig identity, sin^2(x) + cos^2(x) = 1 ,substitute that and you're done!
  3. Details. We are not great at detailed-oriented tasks. Algebraic math is very detail-oriented so rework the problem after you find a solution to make sure you didn't forget a minus sign or forgot a rule. Check you problems again all the time.
  4. Intuit when appropriate. There are times when Intuition comes to our advantage. Some Limits, Integration, 3D Graphing, etc... require visio-spatial imagination. So if you are stuck on a problem like this, try to picture the graph or apply it to a real life situation. Discrete Mathematics and Logic also require a bit of intuition, especially in the area of proofs.
  5. Apply it to real life. Even though almost everything after trig has little to no practical use in real life, we can use our imagination to clarify the problem.
Unlike our INTJ cousins, we don't have the luxury of Te. If we can still our mind, we can enhance our inferior sensing function to understand the problem and come to a real life conclusion. Our Ni helps a lot with the higher theoretical stuff, but it may not be very useful for Algebra, Calculus or Trig.

Here is an anecdote where Ni came to rescue. The problem was in Logic (Discrete Mathematics). It was to prove A <-> B, a double implies, A implies B, B implies A. Ni gave me an instant answer. Given that you know the proof for A->B, A <-> B = (A->B) && (B->A).

I would rate myself as average to above-average in math. I am hoping to improve my logic/math skills by following these tips.

Unlike INTPs who have extraverted intuition, with which they branch out their ideas and explore multiple possiblities, we use Introverted Intuition, which zeroes in on one answer. As a result, we find that the hunches we get may not always be right and even though it might be a great tool for essay-writing and open-ended questions, it doesn't work well with math because there is only one right answer with no room for critical reflection or creativity.


Hope this helps!
 
Architectonic said:
Something you share with many mathematicians (those who do proofs).

To be good at math you have to have (a) interest (b) intelligence (c) a good teacher and learning resources

Too many blame a lack of (a) or (b) when (c) might have been a significant factor.
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Intelligence is too subjective to be classified as a factor. I know plenty of kids who are not very good at math, yet excel in other areas such as writing.

Now if you are talking about a specific type of intelligence, then this is a valid point.
 
magister343 said:
Verbal intelligence is strongly correlated with Intuitive preferences, and mathematical intelligence with thinking preferences.
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I expect Visio-Spatial intelligence to be correlated with Intuitive preferences as well. I don't think a lot of basic mathematics requires high intelligence, maybe the theoretical stuff. Most math class I have taken have been about memorizing procedures, practicing, and applying them on tests.

I also think INTPs have an easier time with Math than other NTs because of Ti and Ne. An INTP I know refers to himself as mathfreak and he thinks proofs are beautiful. I think INTJs think of math as a tool for getting things done.
 
sentientbeing said:
Most math class I have taken have been about memorizing procedures, practicing, and applying them on tests.
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Then you're doing your math wrong.
It's when you memorize early on that it fucks you up in the long run.

If you cannot solely identify steps from patterns because you've memorized the pattern then it will be incredibly more difficult to grasp theoretical concepts.
INFJs dealing with math that are struggling should go back and relearn, actually learn, and not just memorize. Not if you want to be successful in high levels of college calc. anyway.
 
Bird said:
Then you're doing your math wrong.
It's when you memorize early on that it fucks you up in the long run.

If you cannot solely identify steps from patterns because you've memorized the pattern then it will be incredibly more difficult to grasp theoretical concepts.
INFJs dealing with math that are struggling should go back and relearn, actually learn, and not just memorize. Not if you want to be successful in high levels of college calc. anyway.
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Agreed. Math is fun if you learn it, as opposed to memorize it.
 
I disagree

Math is fun to understand and can be interesting. But only having a high-level abstract understanding will do you no good on math tests.

If your goal is to do your best on the exam, then you need to know the formulas/identities/theorems/proofs.

As for the higher calc courses, a good understanding of limits and derivation/integration can make it easier but it will not help you on a test unless you have good foundations in Algebra, Trig, Early Calculus.

I haven't taken a theoretical math class, yet. So I can't speak on that.

In my case atleast, very poor attention to detail and "trying out new ways" have hurt my grades.
 
sentientbeing said:
Math is fun to understand and can be interesting. But only having a high-level abstract understanding will do you no good on math tests.
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I believe my point was that you learn everything. Not just learn what is relevant for higher levels of calculus.

sentientbeing said:
If your goal is to do your best on the exam, then you need to know the formulas/identities/theorems/proofs.
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There is quite a difference between knowing and learning.
If your goal is to do best on your exam I think you might want to broaden your horizons.
Your goal should be to do well in the entire course. Not just one exam.
 
The course still seems like too narrow a focus to me, unless you mean over the whole course of your entire life.

The best way to "memorize" something is not by rote, but through use. Forcing yourself to derive it every time you have doubts about a formula will burn it in your memory much better in the long run.

I was never one for memorization in math. I never bothered with multiplication tables, but even into high school would add count and add things to get the solution unless it was something I had used so often that I had memorized it accidentally. It would occasionally make me take longer on tests than others, but did not stop me from having the highest grade in most of my math classes (at least Geometry and Calculus, I think Algebra II and Pre-Cal were better suited for those who used memorization but I was not at such a disadvantage as to loose a letter grade from my refusal to rely on that).


My iNFP mother said that she always hated math, as always thinks of it in terms of the rote memorization her teachers forced on her. Her math skills are very poor, although her pattern recognition ability is possibly the best I've ever seen. She is at least as likely to get a right answer by randomly guessing as by doing calculations.
 
I'm an undergrad civil engineering student in Australia. Ironically, I despise mathematics... but I kind of derive satisfaction from being able to do things I otherwise thought I was incapable of. Hahaha get it? :P

But in all seriousness, anyone can grasp mathematics. Given the right attitude, practice and proper support (people to tell you if you’re right or wrong, and identify what your mistakes) anyone can excel at maths. As clich
 
My turn to dig up an old thread:

I'm INFJ, not to pat myself on the back, math came easy to me throughout Jr High, High school and college. It was all about having excellent teachers who made learning fun and not just boring rigamarole.
Math puzzles were always my preferred form of entertainment. Well, that and goofing around in the arts.

As others have said, you need to quiet your mind (get annoyed by too much talking around you and focus on the problems) and when learning, hopefully you'll have someone who can keep your ear.

Now, since this thread is 8 years old, I'm sure you've discovered you can do math and CS did not need it at all. LOL.
 
15% is 1 and a half of ten percent
24 + 26 = 50.........25 + 25 = 50....subtract one and add one

I always cheated like this. Having someone in your class of the other sex to friendly compete with was a big plus. We shared our grades and scores with each other....after we got them back.
 
MoonFlier said:
My turn to dig up an old thread:

I'm INFJ, not to pat myself on the back, math came easy to me throughout Jr High, High school and college. It was all about having excellent teachers who made learning fun and not just boring rigamarole.
Math puzzles were always my preferred form of entertainment. Well, that and goofing around in the arts.

As others have said, you need to quiet your mind (get annoyed by too much talking around you and focus on the problems) and when learning, hopefully you'll have someone who can keep your ear.

Now, since this thread is 8 years old, I'm sure you've discovered you can do math and CS did not need it at all. LOL.
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Maths is great - it was my degree subject a long time ago. There's as much beauty in it as in any of the arts, for those with the eyes to see. Even some simple expressions are very pleasing, like Eulers equation:


It's weird because it says that if you multiply e (the root of the natural logarithms) by itself the square root of -1 times, then muliply the result by itself Pi times (where Pi is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle) , then you get -1.

What could it mean? The idea of multipying a number by itself the square root of -1 times is a blast :hearteyecat:. The association between these three apparently totally disconnected special numbers must be telling us something very profound about reality - but what??
 
John K said:
Maths is great - it was my degree subject a long time ago. There's as much beauty in it as in any of the arts, for those with the eyes to see. Even some simple expressions are very pleasing, like Eulers equation:


It's weird because it says that if you multiply e (the root of the natural logarithms) by itself the square root of -1 times, then muliply the result by itself Pi times (where Pi is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle) , then you get -1.

What could it mean? The idea of multipying a number by itself the square root of -1 times is a blast :hearteyecat:. The association between these three apparently totally disconnected special numbers must be telling us something very profound about reality - but what??
Click to expand...
I find it completely fascinating that we have invented a language which allows us to express things that we can't actually understand.

I mean, you can say things in mathematics which are true, and you know they are true because the language allows you to express them, and yet often it is impossible to visualise these things.

There's a general class of qualic objects which we can know intellectually and yet cannot directly imagine, and this seems to express the duality of the mind - that reason somehow allows you to 'go beyond' your nature. Take the idea that some lobsters can see in more colours than we can. I can intellectually understand this, and yet I can't experience it.
 
Deleted member 16771 said:
I mean, you can say things in mathematics which are true, and you know they are true because the language allows you to express them, and yet often it is impossible to visualise these things.

There's a general class of qualic objects which we can know intellectually and yet cannot directly imagine
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Yes, and the maths can slide in and out of conceivability without blinking - take the simple vector equation
r . r = a
Where a is a constant and r is a variable vector. If these are 2D then you have a circle, if they are 3D vectors then it’s a sphere. But if they are 4D it’s a hyper sphere and they could be 6D or 32D and the equation is just as valid. In fact they could actually have an infinite number of dimensions and still represent something valid.

Footnote- corrected the formula since posting
 
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Yes! Weirdly, I'm not amazing at basic math, but I like linear algebra, and one of my favorite classes ever was trigonometry..TRIANGLES!
It can sometimes be fun, like figuring out a puzzle by going through the necessary steps.
 
Deleted member 16771 said:
I find it completely fascinating that we have invented a language which allows us to express things that we can't actually understand.

I mean, you can say things in mathematics which are true, and you know they are true because the language allows you to express them, and yet often it is impossible to visualise these things.

There's a general class of qualic objects which we can know intellectually and yet cannot directly imagine, and this seems to express the duality of the mind - that reason somehow allows you to 'go beyond' your nature. Take the idea that some lobsters can see in more colours than we can. I can intellectually understand this, and yet I can't experience it.
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I feel like math is the one and only native language to the world/universe around us. It is beautiful.
We probably have it wrong though. Everything we do is focused on humanity. Base 10 or binary, they're both about us. Hex is just a byproduct of what was easy to make. Can you imagine the doors we could open mathematically if we worked with whatever the true base is?

I'm willing to bet it's not numerical at all but a frequency, perhaps what we might associate with a color. What funky math that would make for. We have breached upon the idea in computing. We can store far more data if we assign colors verses 1s and 0s. It's a little hard to work with though as we don't know how to make that carry through to processors.
 
I never took Calculus, Trigonometry, or Pre-Trig. If my early years correlate my grasp is above average though nothing to get excited about. I don't understand it as well as I'd like to. It's beautiful, especially when expressed through fractals or patterns.
It's easier for me now than then. Maybe because of environment?

My dad on the other hand, was very good at it. I don't know his type but my guess is ESFP.
 
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