In my mind, numbers and words are far more than squiggles of ink on a page. They have form, color, texture and so on. They come alive to me, which is why as a young child I thought of them as my 'friends.'
Interpretation
This quote expresses the belief that numbers and words possess a deeper, almost magical quality that brings them to life and makes them relatable.
Daniel Tammet emphasizes his unique perception of numbers and words, describing them not merely as symbols but as vibrant entities that evoke emotions and connections. By personifying them as 'friends,' he reflects on the profound relationship he has with language and mathematics, suggesting that these constructs can shape our experiences and understanding of the world.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of literacy and numeracy in education.
I had eventually come to understand that friendship was a delicate, gradual process that mustn’t be rushed or seized upon but allowed and encouraged to take its course over time. I pictured it as a butterfly, simultaneously beautiful and fragile, that once afloat belonged to the air and any attempt to grab at it would only destroy it.
My mother is not a model. She is not perfect. That awareness is part of learning to love someone. Predicting the actions of someone is an act of love. We persist, even when we get it wrong. That's the beauty of love.
I'm very comfortable with the idea of there being late bloomers, and for me, of course, there's no difficulty at all in the way that I think of talent and achievement and so on.
Why learn a number like pi to so many decimal places? The answer I gave then as I do now is that pi is for me an extremely beautiful and utterly unique thing. Like the Mona Lisa or a Mozart symphony, pi is its own reason for loving it.
Like works of literature, mathematical ideas help expand our circle of empathy, liberating us from the tyranny of a single, parochial point of view. Numbers, properly considered, make us better people.
If you do good in secret, Allah will shower His good on you in public.
The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.
One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Where everything is bad it must be good to know the worst.
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