“It has become almost a cliché to remark that nobody boasts of ignorance of literature, but it is socially acceptable to boast ignorance of science.” — Richard Dawkins
It’s even worse with mathematics. At a dinner party, it appears to be okay to say “oh, I can’t do math,” but imagine the reactions you’d get if you said, “oh, I’m illiterate.”
I have worked with a person who cannot convert fractions and another who cannot read a ruler. I don’t recall either one of them feeling particularly defensive about their inabilities, they just shrugged their shoulders and looked at me like I was stupid for expecting it of them.
Comment by Drew — 2007.Feb.10 @ 17:20