If Susan Can Learn Physics, So Can You (2013)
This is half a rant and half a cry for help. I see topics like this on HN often; "Anyone can learn math!" but I really don't think I can. Not because I'm a defeatist and have given up but because I've tried basically all my life to understand math and I've never managed to grasp anything but the most basic concepts.<p>I've tried different teachers, my friends have tried tutoring me, I've tried Khan Academy. No matter what I do, the information just won't stick. The connections in my brain aren't made. What I don't understand is I learn other subjects relatively well. It's just math I can't grasp which really sucks because I love science and cryptography; two fields I imagine I could appreciate more with a solid mathematical background.<p>It's worth noting I have some of the symptoms of dyscalculia, so perhaps my brain isn't really built to do math and is why I struggle so much?<p>It's frustrating when I see "anyone can learn math!" because I've gotten shit from people in the past like "you can't be a good programmer if you're bad at math". I feel like we need to be more accepting that people have strengths and weaknesses in different areas.<p>I'm tired of feeling ashamed to be bad at math, especially as I'm not sure it's even my fault anymore.