Common Quote by Edward Kasner
“Mathematics is often erroneously referred to as the science of common sense. Actually, it may transcend common sense and go beyond either imagination or intuition. It has become a very strange and perhaps frightening subject from the ordinary point of view, but anyone who penetrates into it will find a veritable fairyland, a fairyland which is strange, but makes sense, if not common sense.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Mathematics and the Imagination by Edward Kasner and James Newman, 1940
Mathematics can seem alien to everyday intuition, yet it reveals a hidden, logical wonderland beyond common sense.
In simple terms: Math feels strange but makes sense beyond common sense.
Key Takeaway
Explore hidden logical beauty.
Themes
logic
creativity
wonder
intuition
abstraction
Mood
curious
inspired
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- teaching math
- research
- personal study
- public outreach
Key Concepts
mathematical imagination
conceptual depth
Questions to Reflect On
- How does math feel when you let go of everyday expectations?
- What ' you find most wondrous in abstract reasoning?
A Different Perspective
Its abstract nature can intimidate beginners.
![“Puzzles are made of the things that the mathematician, no less than the child, plays with, and dreams and wonders about, for they are made of things and circumstances of the world he [or she] live in.” quote by Edward Kasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/014/edward-kasner-41808_children_puzzles-are-made-of-the-things-that-the_293115.jpg)
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
