At this point, one feels obliged to qualify that the only reason why Calculus counts as a pleasure is because it is perhaps the only branch of Math wherein one doesn't die in.
i am more surprised by your considering postmodern academic prose (http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo/) a pleasure! interstitial matrices and discourses and fiddly jargon, oh my.
'tis the same reasoning, really. it's horrible going through it, but one gets this perverse pleasure from finishing it. pleasure enough to outweigh the pain, in my case.
clarification: Calculus is a pain in relation to more pleasant activities such as drawing, watching stupid videos, stroking cats etc.
But it's probably my favourite part of maths; I cannot stand statistics, oh no no no. I also feel very happy and accomplished after solving most calculus problems (especially the "Show that ______ = _______" types since they give you the final answer to check). Not with statistics questions where I keep wanting to break brittle innocent things; somehow they're really unfulfilling...
ah, fair enough. i have a deep-seated grudge against calculus, but i definitely agree that problems where you have to prove something that's given to you are quite happifying.
i won't have to face statistics until next year, thankfully. >_.
postmodern academic prose is only pleasurable when taught by a gregarious Greek professor. otherwise, it is blahhh disgusting. and when something does sorta-kinda click, it's rather satisfying. like solving an entire crossword puzzle.
similarly, small talk is only pleasurable when interesting people are involved.
getting taught postmodern academic prose is probably better than having to wade through pages of it.
and i tend to assume that interesting people will have interesting things to say, such that the conversation doesn't degenerate into small talk, but i suppose you have a point -- it's possible to make interesting small talk as well.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 01:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 01:59 pm (UTC)yes, i do have masochistic tendencies. ._.
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Date: 2008-04-14 03:04 pm (UTC)But it's probably my favourite part of maths; I cannot stand statistics, oh no no no.
I also feel very happy and accomplished after solving most calculus problems (especially the "Show that ______ = _______" types since they give you the final answer to check).
Not with statistics questions where I keep wanting to break brittle innocent things; somehow they're really unfulfilling...
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Date: 2008-04-14 03:16 pm (UTC)i won't have to face statistics until next year, thankfully. >_.
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Date: 2008-04-14 11:07 pm (UTC)similarly, small talk is only pleasurable when interesting people are involved.
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Date: 2008-04-15 06:26 pm (UTC)and i tend to assume that interesting people will have interesting things to say, such that the conversation doesn't degenerate into small talk, but i suppose you have a point -- it's possible to make interesting small talk as well.