Why do we believe in math?

[JKDS]

Do you think words always do accurately describe information?

I saw a good video on language developing (maybe posted on here) about how it starts off with us going ohh shit I'd love that rock up there next to my pal but how do I let him know I want that rock. Then they come to an agreement that a sound means ohh dickhead (freedom of speech) give me that rock and that then becomes give me that rock. This isn't a special case lots of noises can mean the same thing (i.e. language) but at what point does a words meaning become abstract enough to cause confusion? Love is definitely one of these words and can be used to mean lots of different things all with their own little meanings to their own person.


I don't belive we don't have the capacity to understand though I think it's false to believe we definitely do. I just think it's false to think we know anything to be true.

If it's any consolation when I was younger I used to think the opposite. You can go down a real rabbit hole trying to conclude that but no one has and the truth is if someone comes up with it in your lifetime then you can do that then.

Words are no different than math. You can misuse both, but that doesn't mean they aren't accurate descriptors.

Love, in your example, suffers in that it is trying to approximate something...like math might try to approximate (something super complex and hard to approximate).

But that doesn't mean words arnt like math. Like math, some things are clearly defined by words. Plate. Apple. Fork.

You might say that there are quite a large number of different kinds of plates, apples, and forks. You're correct...but that misunderstands the words definition. Fork doesn't have to be a single thing...it's instead a set of things...wherein all "fork like things" belong. You can narrow that set with more precise words or by adding qualifiers.

"The silver, 8.9" fork engraved with "jkds is a badass" which I bought last Tuesday at 8:45am" is probably singular. That's close to math saying what "2" means.

Other words are closer to things like + or =. These are words that give meaning to sentence structure.

[Savy]

Love, in your example, suffers in that it is trying to approximate something...like math might try to approximate (something super complex and hard to approximate).

Can I just reply no?

Plate, apple, fork are all things that aren't well defined. They are just more well defined than other words you might have been thinking of. Compared to mathematical rigour it's a fucking joke.

[JKDS]

Can I just reply no?

Plate, apple, fork are all things that aren't well defined. They are just more well defined than other words you might have been thinking of. Compared to mathematical rigour it's a fucking joke.

Sounds like you're saying math has better starting definitions.

[JKDS]

"The silver, 8.9" fork engraved with "jkds is a badass" which I bought last Tuesday at 8:45am" is probably singular. That's close to math saying what "2" means.

.

Maybe it's closer to describing something like π?

My point is that words rely on definition just like math. People suck at conveying and understanding math, and they suck at conveying and understanding words too.

[Savy]

Maybe it's closer to describing something like π?

My point is that words rely on definition just like math. People suck at conveying and understanding math, and they suck at conveying and understanding words too.

But that isn't true.

Pick any mathematical thing and I'll find you well defined definitions of every word in the definition used to define that word.

I mean I won't personally but you could.

Sounds like you're saying math has better starting definitions.

Nah not really.