Speak with numbers

Author: G. Krum
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: We are exposed to numbers from a young age, but how many of us can train our minds, clarify our thoughts, and even see the essence of problems through numbers? In the past 200 years, especially in the recent 50 years, the development of human knowledge has been extraordinary. Science and technology have advanced rapidly, and the capabilities of information transmission, processing, mobile devices, and storage have continuously improved. The pace of knowledge renewal has accelerated, and the productivity of information has increased by several orders of magnitude—information overload has led to many overwhelming consequences. Dr. G. Krum, a renowned scholar from the University of California, Berkeley, has provided us with a shortcut to solving problems using numbers for the first time. This book has been highly praised by teachers, students, and professionals across the United States upon its publication and has become an indispensable classic in this field.
Before discussing anything, you need to understand some prerequisite knowledge to improve your problem-solving skills. The chapters in this section are worth rereading and reflecting on.
Chapter 1: Beginner's Mind
Most people tend to rely too heavily on the methods and skills they have used to solve similar problems when tackling new issues. If the new problem is similar to previous ones, this approach is usually effective. However, if it is not, and the new problem is particularly novel and unique, this approach becomes ineffective. In such cases, the best approach is to make no assumptions about the new problem and treat it as if you have never encountered it before. In martial arts terms, looking at things with fresh eyes is called "Beginner's Mind" (also translated as "Initial Mind" by the translator). For beginners, they do not know what is important and what is irrelevant, so they strive to pay attention to every detail. Experienced martial arts masters use their experience as a filter to distinguish between the irrelevant and the essential. Of course, if the filter malfunctions, even masters are prone to making mistakes. "Beginner's Mind" means that experience is a double-edged sword. It filters out trivial details, allowing you to focus on the important aspects of the problem. However, when the new problem is completely outside the scope of experience, it may also lead you astray. Therefore, the key is to understand when your experience is not suitable for the problem at hand. Ideally, it is to combine the curiosity of a beginner, the objective observation of a fair-minded observer, and the rich experience of a senior analyst. Only then can tremendous power be unleashed.
Chapter 2: Don't Be Intimidated
In her classic essay on creativity titled "If You Want to Write" (《》), Brenda Ulan suggests explicitly not to pay attention to so-called "know-it-alls, mockers, critics, and skeptics." Because their intimidation can suppress your talent and destroy your creativity. In real life, there are often people who claim not to need statistics to prove their points. Although some of them dare to do so because they are very confident in the facts, more people knowingly have incorrect views but insist on saying so. Most people are intimidated by their bold claims, failing to see through the trick. In 1974, Robert Langer published his book "Winning Through Intimidation" (《》), in which he described how he refined his success philosophy in the real estate sales field. The core of his so-called "intimidation theory" is actually applicable to all areas of human activity. In short, it is: an individual's rewards are inversely proportional to the intimidation they receive.