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this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
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Memorizing data doesn't make one smarter... but learning concepts absolutely does.
The classic, "we'll never need this in adult life" is math like Pythagoras' theorem, or factoring binomial equations (remember FOIL?). We don't learn that math because it's practical for adult life... we learn that math so that grown ass adults don't think someone using algebra is performing black magic.
Seems silly... but it's just like how many folks never learned past middle school biology and now think XX&XY are the only chromosomal possibilities.
How about we meet in the middle and say "learning the concept that you might be wrong will help your intelligence"?
My mother who "allegedly" graduated high school has more confidence than anyone I know and will say things like "you can't divide a small number by a bigger number" or "temperatures don't have decimals, only full numbers". Then as you stare at her blankly trying to figure out if she's joking or not, she'll tell you you're clearly not very smart if you don't know that
IMO you're just describing a closed mind versus an open mind. Learning the concept that you might be wrong is fundamental to having an open mind.
And it's difficult if not impossible to be more intelligent with a closed mind no?
(not the op) but yeah, I agree with that.
That said, with the example of your mom, it sounds like it could be insecurity as much as it could be a closed mind. Some people really struggle with the idea that others might think they're dumb, especially their children. So they assert things as fact, because they want to maintain the image that they have all the answers. Especially when kids are bright, some parents will fight tooth and nail to maintain an air of intellectual superiority, to assert intellectual dominance.
It may seem sad, but it's pretty understandable, relatable even. - Humans be like that.
I think that kind of thing is more cultural than anything. Probably she doesn't care very much whether it's actually true or not, and feels she'd be losing face by being anything but confident about it.
Imo it's more important that people learn that being wrong can be empowering, and how to have conversations where someone is wrong but not being put down for it, than just learning that they can be wrong.
Very possible. I just couldn't see myself purposely saying something I didn't think was true and then doubling up with calling the other person dumb over it. I don't agree with almost anything she does though so that checks out.
A lot of adults don't, then proceed to argue about order of operations, having forgotten that Brackets have to be all expanded out before doing anything else at all.
Yes we do. I use Maths every day, quite separate to the fact I teach it.
I love this argument because it's like a guy who catches and eats raw fish saying that we don't need fire. Like, man, you're not even trying to use it, though.
and in fact had forgotten all about the fact that he cooked it over a fire as a treat for last Christmas 😂
I think you missed that the next portion of their statement was connected to the part you (inappropriately) added the missing word to.
They're saying, essentially, that it's important to learn math just for a rounded education, even if it lacks application. They're saying closer to "even if we're eating sushi, we still need fire".
I'm aware the quoted person agrees with me. I'm responding to a common public sentiment.
Ah, alright. :) sometimes these things are hard to tell in text.
Haha, no problem, friend. :p
I mean Pythagoras is useful but what are you foiling?(garden fertilizer?) Or are you misconstruing "that math" for "all math"?
I wasn't even commenting on that, hence why I quoted "remember FOIL?" and not the rest.