--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stayed away from mathematics not so…" description: "\"I stayed away from mathematics not so much because I knew it would be hard work as because of the amount of time I knew it would take, hours spent in a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/carl-sandburg-952_amount_i-stayed-away-from-mathematics-not-so-mu_1764216.jpg" --- # I stayed away from mathematics not so much because I knew… ![“I stayed away from mathematics not so much because I knew it would be hard work as because of the amount of time I knew it would take, hours spent in a field where I was not a natural.” quote by Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/carl-sandburg-952_amount_i-stayed-away-from-mathematics-not-so-mu_1764216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/carl-sandburg-952_amount_i-stayed-away-from-mathematics-not-so-mu_1764216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/carl-sandburg-952_amount_i-stayed-away-from-mathematics-not-so-mu_1764216.jpg) > “I stayed away from mathematics not so much because I knew it would be hard work as because of the amount of time I knew it would take, hours spent in a field where I was not a natural.” [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding math often stems from perceived difficulty and time demands, especially when it feels unnatural. **In simple terms:** Math feels hard and time‑consuming. Key Takeaway Assess if effort outweighs benefit. Themes education self‑assessment effort Mood reflective cautious Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - college courses - self‑study - career decisions Key Concepts perceived difficulty time management Questions to Reflect On - What tasks feel unnatural but are essential? - How can you make learning more efficient? A Different Perspective Skipping may limit future opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Away Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-mathematics-1721472/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Hours Spent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours-spent-1721473/) [Knew Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-hard-1452741/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Mathematics Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics-knew-1721471/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [As a mathematician, von Neumann was quick, brilliant, efficient, and enormously broad in scientific interests beyond mathematics itself. 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