Math is simply logic with syntax, and It only takes a few hours to learn the syntax. My parents didn't teach me math. My dad (while great at math) was too busy working, while my mom has an elementary understanding of math at best and took a hands-off approach. However, they did buy a series of graded math textbooks. I remember waking up one night at about 2am and working through an entire workbook before morning, representing what the schools would cover in about a year. In my opinion, it takes less than a week to self-study all the required math before pre-algebra.

To clarify, I do believe that arithmetic and algebraic reasoning is innate, and arises from the structure of biological neural networks. The syntax and conventions aren't however, and must be memorized. You have to realize that if your brain wasn't built to understand mathematical reasoning, you almost couldn't function as a rational being. Also, the reason I say "neural networks" as opposed to "brain" is I want to stress that the brain is merely a biological neural network, and every network is different. I have aphantasia, for example, meaning I think entirely non-visually, I lack a "mind's eye" and have no visual experience associated with thought, memory, or anything for that matter. This is a heritable, structural difference which influences cognitive experience in a fundamental way.

Also, as far as being "smart", I think it would be a bit of an oversimplification to call myself "smart". I am very good at creative problem solving, and that's what most people refer to as intelligence. However, most people would also associate things like superior memory as part of intelligence, and I'm definitely worse than average at recalling certain types of information, almost certainly because I lack a visual memory. The visual brain is more efficient at storing at recalling certain types of visual information. I've never gotten a visual IQ question wrong on any test, however there is almost certainly a speed/accuracy trade-off between solving visual problems in the occipital lobe versus wherever visual problem solving takes place in my mind. I think it's a little misleading to measure intelligence in just one dimension. I'm not good at everything, but I do believe I excel in a certain type of intelligence.

Math is simply logic with syntax, and It only takes a few hours to learn the syntax. My parents didn't teach me math. My dad (while great at math) was too busy working, while my mom has an elementary understanding of math at best and took a hands-off approach. However, they did buy a series of graded math textbooks. I remember waking up one night at about 2am and working through an entire workbook before morning, representing what the schools would cover in about a year. In my opinion, it takes less than a week to self-study all the required math before pre-algebra.

To clarify, I do believe that arithmetic and algebraic reasoning is innate, and arises from the structure of biological neural networks. The syntax and conventions aren't however, and must be memorized. You have to realize that if your brain wasn't built to understand mathematical reasoning, you almost couldn't function as a rational being. Also, the reason I say "neural networks" as opposed to "brain" is I want to stress that the brain is merely a biological neural network, and every network is different. I have aphantasia, for example, meaning I think entirely non-visually, I lack a "mind's eye" and have no visual experience associated with thought, memory, or anything for that matter. This is a heritable, structural difference which influences cognitive experience in a fundamental way.

Also, as far as being "smart", I think it would be a bit of an oversimplification to call myself "smart". I am very good at creative problem solving, and that's what most people refer to as intelligence. However, most people would also consider things like memory to be part of intelligence, and I'm worse than average at memorizing certain types of information, probably because I don't have a visual memory. The visual brain is more efficient at storing at recalling certain types of visual information. I've never gotten a visual IQ question wrong on any test, however there is almost certainly a speed/accuracy trade-off between solving visual problems in the occipital lobe versus wherever visual problem solving takes place in my mind. I think it's a little misleading to measure intelligence in just one dimension. I'm not good at everything, but I do believe I excel in a certain type of intelligence.

Math is simply logic with syntax, and It only takes a few hours to learn the syntax. My parents didn't teach me math. My dad (while great at math) was too busy working, while my mom has an elementary understanding of math at best and took a hands-off approach. However, they did buy a series of graded math textbooks. I remember waking up one night at about 2am and working through an entire workbook before morning, representing what the schools would cover in about a year. In my opinion, it takes less than a week to self-study all the required math before pre-algebra. When I was a kid, I rarely studied more than a few hours per week.

To clarify, I do believe that arithmetic and algebraic reasoning is innate, and arises from the structure of biological neural networks. The syntax and conventions aren't however, and must be memorized. You have to realize that if your brain wasn't built to understand mathematical reasoning, you almost couldn't function as a rational being. Also, the reason I say "neural networks" as opposed to "brain" is I want to stress that the brain is merely a biological neural network, and every network is different. I have aphantasia, for example, meaning I think entirely non-visually, I lack a "mind's eye" and have no visual experience associated with thought, memory, or anything for that matter. This is a heritable, structural difference which influences cognitive experience in a fundamental way.

I think how your brain works is vastly underestimated in terms of its influence in almost every aspect of ability and personality. Most people assume that everyone else has the same cognitive experience. That's definitely not true. If you could swap out your memories with someone else, you wouldn't be that person any more than binge watching Colombo makes you a crack detective. While genetic determinism can be a hard pill for many to swallow, and certainly isn't helpful in motivating someone to their full potential, I don't think most people realize how much of their being they owe to how they think, and how much how they think is a product of how their brain is built.

Math is simply logic with syntax, and It only takes a few hours to learn the syntax. My parents didn't teach me math. My dad (while great at math) was too busy working, while my mom has an elementary understanding of math at best and took a hands-off approach. However, they did buy a series of graded math textbooks. I remember waking up one night at about 2am and working through an entire workbook before morning, representing what the schools would cover in about a year. In my opinion, it takes less than a week to self-study all the required math before pre-algebra. When I was a kid, I rarely studied more than a few hours per week.

To clarify, I do believe that arithmetic and algebraic reasoning is innate, and arises from the structure of biological neural networks. The syntax and conventions aren't however, and must be memorized. You have to realize that if your brain wasn't built to understand mathematical reasoning, you almost couldn't function as a rational being. Also, the reason I say "neural networks" as opposed to "brain" is I want to stress that the brain is merely a biological neural network, and every network is different. I have aphantasia, for example, meaning I think entirely non-visually, I lack a "mind's eye" and have no visual experience associated with thought, memory, or anything for that matter. This is a heritable, structural difference which influences cognitive experience in a fundamental way.

Math is simply logic with syntax, and It only takes a few hours to learn the syntax. My parents didn't teach me math. My dad (while great at math) was too busy working, while my mom has an elementary understanding of math at best and took a hands-off approach. However, they did buy a series of graded math textbooks. I remember waking up one night at about 2am and working through an entire workbook before morning, representing what the schools would cover in about a year. In my opinion, it takes less than a week to self-study all the required math before pre-algebra.

To clarify, I do believe that arithmetic and algebraic reasoning is innate, and arises from the structure of biological neural networks. The syntax and conventions aren't however, and must be memorized. You have to realize that if your brain wasn't built to understand mathematical reasoning, you almost couldn't function as a rational being. Also, the reason I say "neural networks" as opposed to "brain" is I want to stress that the brain is merely a biological neural network, and every network is different. I have aphantasia, for example, meaning I think entirely non-visually, I lack a "mind's eye" and have no visual experience associated with thought, memory, or anything for that matter. This is a heritable, structural difference which influences cognitive experience in a fundamental way.