Habits of highly mathematical people
Couldn't this also be titled "Habits of high rational people", with mathematics simply being one application?<p>I'm not a mathematician and was miserable at math in school, but I apply these habits in the business world every day. They help me cut through a lot of crap that comes from other people's sloppy/lazy thinking.<p>>Anyone who has gone through an undergraduate math education has known a person (or been that person) to regularly point out that X statement is not precisely true in the very special case of Y that nobody intended to include as part of the discussion in the first place. It takes a lot of social maturity beyond the bare mathematical discourse to understand when this is appropriate and when it’s just annoying.<p>I don't disagree but would argue that the far more common problem is people - not just mathematicians, mind you - not considering definitions <i>enough</i> which ultimately leads to confusion and/or misunderstandings and consequently additional, unnecessary, cycles spent in discussion about "what do you really mean?"