Math + History = The Same?

I'm not a math person, and I'm definitely not a history buff (though I secretly wish I could have a sophisticated conversation about preemptive war doctrines and differential equations). I'm more of a writing/ marketing/ anthropological kinda gal.

So, when a friend recently told me that his two favorite subjects were math and history, I just had to ask: why in the world are you interested (and probably really good at) not one, but both of these? In my mind, they have always been such different subjects. He responded, "They are actually quite similar. With math, there are a number of different ways to get to the same answer. History is kind of like that, too. With history, you can find drastically varied understandings of a singular event."

Hmmm. I had never really thought of it that way before. But now that I see the similarities between math and history, I'm starting to see the similarities in every subject- with slight variation from one to the other, of course. For instance, with language, you can construct a sentence in multiple ways to get the same general point across. In psychology, experiments can be manipulated and replicated in order to get an expected set of results. In sociology, you can use a number of theoretical perspectives to account for a particular human behavior or interaction.

I am in awe of the beautifully interconnected world that I live in. This notion- that many subjects are similar because a number of paths lead up to one final result- seems generalizable to life as a whole. At any given point, we are responsible for creating our own unique paths which lead us to the same final result. The literal result would be death, but the metaphorical result would be life- destiny, fate. Some people would say that if this were true- if life is prescribed for us- what would be the point of living?

I don't necessarily believe in the prescripted life. But I do believe the journey is just as- if not more- important than the destination. It's kind of like taking a trip. Say I flew from New York to Los Angeles; what happened in between did not change the fact that I started in one place and ended up in another. But, it might've had an impact on how I felt when I arrived at my final destination:

Scenario 1: I could've flown coach in a cramped plane, in front of a kid who could not stop kicking my damn seat, with a mean stewardess who didn't even give me the roasted peanuts I paid for and deserve!

Or, Scenario 2: I could've flown business class with double the leg room, ate a decent dinner (!!), and had a lovely conversation with the attractive guy sitting next to me in a spectacular Armani suit.

...So, there may be just one starting point and one destination. But the different scenarios that could happen in between wind up shaping how I feel and who I am when I finally get to point B from point A.



In life, you choose your own journey. The destination isn't what's necessarily important. After all, we spend much more time traveling than landing. We can follow a path that causes harm and disservice to others and ourselves. Or, we can make a conscious effort every day to live the best life we can. Smile at a stranger; not smiling won't destroy their whole day, but a smile might make it a little better. Put the extra time in at work- maybe you aren't getting paid enough (or at all) for it, but chances are you'll learn a lot more and maybe even get to where you want to be faster. And above all else, love yourself for who you are right now. Easier said than done, right? Of course it is. But, if we are constantly planning and waiting for the next moment rather than enjoying the one we are in right now, we are going to look back in 50 years and wonder how and why we wasted so much time.

I've realized, after that chance conversation with my friend, that everything and everyone is connected in ways that are subtle, but profound. We all travel different paths, only to get to the same end. But we fool ourselves when we spend too much time thinking about the end, as if the end is the point. Are lives are really defined by the small choices- the seemingly insignificant paths we choose along the way.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and watch the History Channel.


Love Life,

Melissa