Ask HN: Do you feel dumb sometimes? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Do you feel dumb sometimes?

2 pointslone_haxx0r3 comments

Yesterday I was reviewing the formal definition of a limit (epsilon, delta), and it took me like 25 minutes to understand it.

I understand the intuitive concept of a limit quite well, but the formal definition never clicked for me when I first learned it years ago. Yesterday I didn't feel the click either, it felt more like a forcing my intuitive understanding into the definition. I still don't feel satisfied about it.

When I learned to program, I got used to things clicking quite easily, it made me feel smart, like I could deduce the workings of any system from the bare first principles.

I feel really stupid now. Do you feel the same sometimes? Do you think I am dumb?

Two things.

1) Humans are stupid. If we were not were not we would have long ago colonized the solar system. The technology is there but we rather not. We would rather fight, discriminate, and withhold knowledge which would, quite literally, save all of our lives.

2) Programming principles can be understood because they are based on concepts that are largely built upon a physical machine. Math can't really be understood, you just have to become accustom to it. Mathematics is simply too abstract to relate to things you already know like programming is. So when learning maths don't try too hard, just memorize, and familiarize. Once you start thinking you are smart you stop working and you stop learning.

Some physicists openly admit not really understanding how a lever works. And not many people really understand the Pythagorean theorem at a deep level (as opposed to having memorized a proof of it). The important thing is to resist the urge to try and understand things and try to get used to seeing everything, not just science but literally all humans interactions etc as a formal abacus. Aim to simulate a certain set of behavior. Understanding is actually not conducive to this end at all.

Feeling dumb while working on a hard problem is just stupidity leaving the brain. Those 25 minutes were well spent.

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