out of curiosity

[jaaron]

Are you a math (maths, for the UK peeps) person, a words person, a visual person, some combination of the above, good at all of them, or something else entirely?

Reading @ForteKitty and @yssie's showstopping replies in the perfect OEC thread made me think about this.

I can write basically anything, impose order, grammar and narrative thread on basically anything, spell basically anything off the top of my head. But I'm hopeless at anything with numbers, to the point that I'm convinced I have some kind of mathematical dyslexia. If you show me a math problem, I will think I'm following along, but then not be able to repeat it myself. Weirdly, I'm ok at logic of the kind they give you on LSATs and GREs, but if you were to insert numbers instead of words, I'd fall at the first hurdle.

What do you consider yourself?

 

[lyra]

I can spell and do math in my head! Math is sticking more with my age than words though. When I worked, I used to be able to recall files by their numbers. Was considered quite the savant, lol. Way back in the olden days.

 

[Matata]

I'm similar to you jaaron with visual thrown in. I break out in hives at the thought of math. It was a major roadblock for me when I was in college and wanted desperately to focus on the field of science.

 

[Begonia]

Cool topic.

Moderately good at math, extremely visual and kinesthetic. Optics for me all the way (with numbers as a back up or as an interesting surprise).

 

[Big Fat Facets]

i understand myself, to be visual first and foremost, followed by words and math is way way behind, back there.

However, IF the numbers are in relation to diamonds and jewelry, i am much improved in my mathematical abilities.

 

[dk168]

Good with maths, not so good with spelling and grammar with my excuse that English is not my mother tongue! So I compensate by using spell check and grammar check as often as I need to.

Definitely a visual person, and am good with imagining designs and layout in my head. I would not have any issue buying a property off-plan based on architectural drawings alone.

I do not listen well, hence I do not like teleconferences as I prefer to see and read rather than to listen alone.

DK

 

[Tartansparkles]

Visual, wordy person. I tend to think in pictures and it takes soooo long to translate those pictures into words. If everyone was telepathic, life would be so much easier! (Or maybe not!).

My daughter has high functioning autism. She's on the 97-98 percentile for things like words, comprehension, speed of processing etc. - but scored so low for maths (14) she was diagnosed with dyscalculia (like dyslexia but for numbers). I'm fascinated by the way different brains work and how different skills translate into real life - for example DH is more of a numbers person, but can he fit a week's worth of shopping into the freezer, nope.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Good with language and math both, but definitely not kinaesthetic in any way, shape or form! I could trip over thin air even while staring at my feet. I also have bad spatial awareness and zero drawing ability though I can visualise things easily and have good aesthetic sense. It can be really frustrating to just picture something gorgeous in my head but not be able to put it down on paper! More of an auditory learner than a visual one, however I’d consider myself “both” with a twist - I used to study by reading my own notes out loud to myself in school and university, and when I had to recall it I would hear my voice in my head but also see the page in my mind’s eye. Diagrams were my Achilles heel, however. I can, and frequently do, daydream in words though I can pull up the matching pictures in my imagination if I want

 

[MeowMeow]

I'm more visual and wordy. I love to write things that are not scientific papers as well as draw. But math? Lol... not happening. I stayed in basic math literally until they felt compelled to pass me in school and then repeated it in college because my math scores were all too low to be with my peers. And I only barely passed. I legit spent a good chunk of my weekends with that poor man getting help with my homework. Spent 2 or 3 hours every Saturday as well as probably 45 minutes with him after ever single class just to get a c. I had to do the same with the more advanced math my bachelors demanded. I still count on my fingers. Forget division! Thank God for calculators! Everyone says oh just follow the rules! But that's not helpful when you cannot remember them.

I feel bad mostly for my kid. I won't be able to help her with maths at all. Hoping my husband will be able to or we will have a problem.

 

[Gussie]

Math definitely. But I see math as a tool for science.

"All science is either physics or stamp collecting." Ernest Rutherford

 

[Arcadian]

I work with lots of math on the daily, remember things by their number versus the actual word or phrase.

I think I'm a combination though,but weighs heavily on the math side of life. I understand angles when it comes to gemstones and diamonds and understand what they mean, but have a harder time putting them into words.

 

[missy]

Definitely math and science but I am very visual too. I love reading and I love talking and writing but I am stronger in math and science.

 

[Snowdrop13]

I did an IQ test once which said I was a “visual mathematician”. No idea what that means!

 

[lissyflo]

Maths all the way, with the exception that I can’t do mental maths for toffee. I think it’s a short term memory issue with holding numbers in my head: I know what parts I want to break a bigger sum into, but by the time I’ve done the second sub-component I can feel the first numbers slipping through my brain. With paper to write parts down I’m fine, just mental maths. I really missed doing maths when I stopped doing it at uni - it makes you think in a different way and, sad as it is to say this out loud, I found working through proofs etc almost therapeutic in the logical process you needed to go through.

If you saw me parking a car you’d question my spatial ability (!), but I can ‘see’ the mechanics of problems and things like architectural plans in 3D in my head fairly well. And I have no artistic or musical ability whatsoever!

 

[missy]

I did an IQ test once which said I was a “visual mathematician”. No idea what that means!

"Visual mathematicians innately notice patterns in numbers and pictures and possess the ability to create detailed 3-D mental images that can be beneficial to solving complex issues through visualization."

 

[missy]

If you saw me parking a car you’d question my spatial ability

Ditto.

 

[Slickk]

I’m all about the Math and numbers. Short on words....

 

[jaysonsmom]

I think I’m a 50/50 Math and Words person. I have always excelled at math and other STEM subjects that required math, at the same time, learning languages come easily to me, and if online gaming “Words with Friend” is any indication, I’m pretty strong in that aspect too!

 

[redwood66]

Ugh I cannot math my way out of a checkbook register. Grammar and spelling are my jam.

 

[oodlesofpoodles]

While I can entirely visualize a floor-plan by hearing a description I can not visualize where I am on a map and am dependent on my car maps feature for direction. I can visualize design concepts like what colors will work together in a room and what a house will look like after a remodel. I see movies in my head when reading a book - becoming so engrossed that I block out other sounds and have to "come back" by being tapped on. I can compose and hear music as I fall asleep - I really enjoy that - doesn't always happen but it is fun when it does because I can separate or combine the strings, flutes etc. I would not be able to write down the notes though - it's been a long time since I played an instrument. I do not enjoy math, it was boring to me and a real struggle to keep focused but ended up in banking as my career lol - but that was really a customer service job more than math. I love science and history. Foreign language was the bane of my existence - I took "four years" but really more because I had to repeat Spanish and only know some basic words and numbers for all my effort and tears. I have no problem writing - it comes easily to me - like talking. I won numerous awards when I was in school all the way thru college for writing. I can not draw or paint to save my soul. But I have a deep appreciation for art and aesthetic. I made great grades in school in all subjects and graduated from college but my brain feels like mush nowadays. I have no idea what kind of thinker this mash up makes me

 

[voce]

I think I'm stronger with language, but no slouch when it comes to math and science. I love logic puzzles but find LSAT problem boring. As with crosswords, which just involve trivia that I'm not interested in.

If I want to remember something, I say it out loud to myself (always in Chinese for the succinctness), and remember the sound way longer than I would if I pictured it visually. I will recognize an attractive voice more easily than recognizing an attractive face, because I think attractive voices to be more distinctive than attractive faces.

But what does it mean to be visual, really? I think that, unless you're disabled, humans do rely on visual signals for A LOT, so unless the person is vision impaired, I don't think you can say anyone is NOT visual.

 

[AGBF]

Don't get old. I used to be good with words. Now I cannot visualize words to see their spelling in my head, something I used to do automatically. I also cannot remember words. I would get depressed about it, but by the time I remember I was supposed to be upset about something, I have forgotten what it is.

 

[AGBF]

If you saw me parking a car you’d question my spatial ability

Ditto.

It's a good thing you were an eye doctor, not a dentist.

 

[stracci2000]

I am visually oriented. Show me a picture or diagram.
If I see your name written down, I will never forget it.
I love to read, and remember things much better if I take notes.
Art is my thing, and I love to create and work with my hands. I can draw and paint, and realism is my style.

Math has always been my downfall.
In high school, I was doing badly in Algebra II.
So a nice teacher hooked me up with a boy who would help me during study hall. It turns out that this was the boy who I had a massive crush on for years.
I told myself, that I had better get this math stuff, or look like a fool in front of this boy I was in love with.
Naturally, I still couldn't get it, and that's when I realized that there was no hope for me!

 

[ForteKitty]

Probably 60% math 40% words? My spatial concept is excellent and I visualize things in 3d, but it's useless unless you can articulate what you want to do with that info. Honestly it didn't even occur to me that people were assuming a flat diagram is how a stone will visually look in person. Boggles the mind that they didn't understand that facet sizes aren't identical. Even when I make my cutout diamonds to visualize size, I curve the crown down and stick it on top of an existing ring so I see the proper depth. Dude, I wasted way too much time in that thread LOL

 

[AprilBaby]

Totally visual. If math dyslexia is a thing, I have it. It might as well be Chinese symbols.

 

[voce]

Totally visual. If math dyslexia is a thing, I have it. It might as well be Chinese symbols.

Hey! I take offense because you are making incorrect assumptions about Chinese.

There is no such thing as Chinese dyslexia. My dad who actually has dyslexia and hates reading English for that exact reason has zero problems reading in Chinese.

 

[Girlfriday17]

I was an English major in university and worked in banking for 20 years and now love designing, decorating and organizing houses for my friends. Not sure what I would fall under.

 

[missy]

It's a good thing you were an eye doctor, not a dentist.

True. Good thing for many reasons.

 

[jaaron]

I can spell and do math in my head! Math is sticking more with my age than words though. When I worked, I used to be able to recall files by their numbers. Was considered quite the savant, lol. Way back in the olden days.

Wow. That's impressive!

I'm similar to you jaaron with visual thrown in. I break out in hives at the thought of math. It was a major roadblock for me when I was in college and wanted desperately to focus on the field of science.

It's interesting, because science and math are so closely linked, that you would like one and not the other. Were you more interested in the less math-y sciences? I liked biology and geology/earth science, but chemistry and physics... well, talk about hives

Cool topic.

Moderately good at math, extremely visual and kinesthetic. Optics for me all the way (with numbers as a back up or as an interesting surprise).

It's interesting that being visual seems to go with both the math and language side. Not surprising, in some ways, though, that you would find a lot of visually-oriented people on a diamond forum.

i understand myself, to be visual first and foremost, followed by words and math is way way behind, back there.

However, IF the numbers are in relation to diamonds and jewelry, i am much improved in my mathematical abilities.

Lol. See that's how I know I'm truly terrible at math--I don't get it even when it's related to diamonds.

Good with maths, not so good with spelling and grammar with my excuse that English is not my mother tongue! So I compensate by using spell check and grammar check as often as I need to.

Definitely a visual person, and am good with imagining designs and layout in my head. I would not have any issue buying a property off-plan based on architectural drawings alone.

I do not listen well, hence I do not like teleconferences as I prefer to see and read rather than to listen alone.

DK

What a great skill to have. I'm visual in terms of being good at decorating and furniture and dressing myself, but I need something physical to start out with for context. If I bought property off-plan, I'd probably end up with either a shoebox or a mansion by accident.

Visual, wordy person. I tend to think in pictures and it takes soooo long to translate those pictures into words. If everyone was telepathic, life would be so much easier! (Or maybe not!).

My daughter has high functioning autism. She's on the 97-98 percentile for things like words, comprehension, speed of processing etc. - but scored so low for maths (14) she was diagnosed with dyscalculia (like dyslexia but for numbers). I'm fascinated by the way different brains work and how different skills translate into real life - for example DH is more of a numbers person, but can he fit a week's worth of shopping into the freezer, nope.

That's so interesting about thinking in pictures, although I think it might be good that everyone's not telepathic. There are quite a few people I deal with where I think it's best all around that they can't see my thoughts... I wish they'd diagnosed dyscalculia when I was in school. I spent years with some teachers thinking I was an ideal student and some thinking I was just not trying. Urgh.

My husband is fairly mathematical. He's actually great at the fitting stuff into the fridge thing, but for some reason, his dishwasher loading is a travesty.

Good with language and math both, but definitely not kinaesthetic in any way, shape or form! I could trip over thin air even while staring at my feet. I also have bad spatial awareness and zero drawing ability though I can visualise things easily and have good aesthetic sense. It can be really frustrating to just picture something gorgeous in my head but not be able to put it down on paper! More of an auditory learner than a visual one, however I’d consider myself “both” with a twist - I used to study by reading my own notes out loud to myself in school and university, and when I had to recall it I would hear my voice in my head but also see the page in my mind’s eye. Diagrams were my Achilles heel, however. I can, and frequently do, daydream in words though I can pull up the matching pictures in my imagination if I want

So interesting that you can basically summon a photographic memory by combining auditory and visual. I'm terrible with faces, but if someone tells me a fact about themselves when I meet them, I'll always remember them and that fact, even if it's totally mundane-- I'm allergic to eggs or I have size 7 feet.

I'm more visual and wordy. I love to write things that are not scientific papers as well as draw. But math? Lol... not happening. I stayed in basic math literally until they felt compelled to pass me in school and then repeated it in college because my math scores were all too low to be with my peers. And I only barely passed. I legit spent a good chunk of my weekends with that poor man getting help with my homework. Spent 2 or 3 hours every Saturday as well as probably 45 minutes with him after ever single class just to get a c. I had to do the same with the more advanced math my bachelors demanded. I still count on my fingers. Forget division! Thank God for calculators! Everyone says oh just follow the rules! But that's not helpful when you cannot remember them.

I feel bad mostly for my kid. I won't be able to help her with maths at all. Hoping my husband will be able to or we will have a problem.

Or you could (like me) end up with a kid whose math abilities so far surpass yours by the time she's 5.

Math definitely. But I see math as a tool for science.

"All science is either physics or stamp collecting." Ernest Rutherford

Did you always see it that way? Or did you like math in its own right?