---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people have this hang-up from…"
description: "\"I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is this dusty old textbook that was finished hundreds of years ago, and all the answers are in ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg"
---

#  I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is…

![“I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is this dusty old textbook that was finished hundreds of years ago, and all the answers are in the back. Whereas in my job I struggle to find anything that maths can't offer an interesting perspective on.” quote by Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg)

> “I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is this dusty old textbook that was finished hundreds of years ago, and all the answers are in the back. Whereas in my job I struggle to find anything that maths can't offer an interesting perspective on.”

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Mathematics is often seen as static and outdated, but it continuously provides fresh insights across fields.

**In simple terms:** Math is still useful and new.

Key Takeaway

Seek fresh mathematical angles.

Themes

education math innovation

Mood

curious inspired

Type

analytical reflective

When to use this quote

- teaching
- research
- business strategy
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

applied mathematics interdisciplinary thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you integrate math into creative work?
- What limits does math have in human contexts?

A Different Perspective

Math may not solve every problem, especially those needing qualitative nuance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Maths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maths/) [Maths Dusty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maths-dusty-4184362/) [Maths Offer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maths-offer-4184364/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Old Textbook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-textbook-4184365/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Maths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-maths-4184363/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/)

## Related quotes

> [There's barely any aspect of our modern lives that hasn't had a mathematical contribution at some point and yet, if you asked the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/there-s-barely-any-aspect-of-our-modern-lives-that-hasn-t-had-a/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [There's no reason for men to be better at maths than women - it's just about our perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/there-s-no-reason-for-men-to-be-better-at-maths-than-women-it-s-just/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [If I'm flying to China, I can sit and think about a problem. Other scientists have to go to the lab. I'm always thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/if-i-m-flying-to-china-i-can-sit-and-think-about-a-problem-other/)

[Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/)

> [The wonderful thing about maths is it's a totally logical subject, and a pathway has been marked out. I think a lot of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-wonderful-thing-about-maths-is-it-s-a-totally-logical-subject-and/)

[Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/)

> [Maths is like a ladder - if you miss the first few rungs, you can't jump up, so start with the basics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/maths-is-like-a-ladder-if-you-miss-the-first-few-rungs-you-can-t-jump/)

[Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/)

> [“The distance between your Dreams and Reality is inversely proportional to your Efforts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/the-distance-between-your-dreams-and-reality-is-inversely/)

[Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/)

> [Am No Good At Maths But All The Maths I Need To Know Baby Is That You + Me = Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/am-no-good-at-maths-but-all-the-maths-i-need-to-know-baby-is-that-you/)

[Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/)

> [Maths is totally done differently to what I was teached when I was at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/maths-is-totally-done-differently-to-what-i-was-teached-when-i-was-at/)

[David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/)

> [Dear maths: grow up and solve yor own problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cher-rie-ireland/dear-maths-grow-up-and-solve-yor-own-problems/)

[Cher-rie Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cher-rie-ireland/)

> [In other countries you can do high-level maths or general maths, whereas we've just got all-or-nothing. We need to give people another option from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-truss/in-other-countries-you-can-do-high-level-maths-or-general-maths/)

[Liz Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-truss/)

> [And what he meant was that maths wasn't like life because in life there are no straightforward answers in the end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-what-he-meant-was-that-maths-wasn-t-like-life-because-in-life/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [All I wanted to do was put together one of the best home maths systems in the world, and that's what we've done. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-vorderman/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-put-together-one-of-the-best-home-maths/)

[Carol Vorderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-vorderman/)

> [I'm rubbish at maths but I would like to have been a pilot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-hayward/i-m-rubbish-at-maths-but-i-would-like-to-have-been-a-pilot/)

[Francesca Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-hayward/)

> [In short, with Sarri football is maths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalidou-koulibaly/in-short-with-sarri-football-is-maths/)

[Kalidou Koulibaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalidou-koulibaly/)

> [Some things in life are not pleasant but they have to be done. For instance, German and maths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rennison/some-things-in-life-are-not-pleasant-but-they-have-to-be-done-for/)

[Louise Rennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rennison/)

## More by Hannah Fry

> [At some point in the future - possibly the very near future - Britain will be hit by a deadly pandemic, and its impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/at-some-point-in-the-future-possibly-the-very-near-future-britain/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [There's barely any aspect of our modern lives that hasn't had a mathematical contribution at some point and yet, if you asked the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/there-s-barely-any-aspect-of-our-modern-lives-that-hasn-t-had-a/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [When it comes to love, making long-term decisions is a risky business. Sooner or later, most of us decide to leave our carefree bachelor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/when-it-comes-to-love-making-long-term-decisions-is-a-risky-business/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [If we permit flawed machines to make life-changing decisions on our behalf - by allowing them to pinpoint a murder suspect, to diagnose a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/if-we-permit-flawed-machines-to-make-life-changing-decisions-on-our/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [In our urge to automate, in our eagerness to adopt the latest innovations, we appear to have developed a habit of unthinkingly handing over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/in-our-urge-to-automate-in-our-eagerness-to-adopt-the-latest/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [All around us, algorithms provide a kind of convenient source of authority: an easy way to delegate responsibility, a short cut we take without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/all-around-us-algorithms-provide-a-kind-of-convenient-source-of/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [You can't assess the value of an innovation in isolation, you have to consider whose hands it's in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/you-can-t-assess-the-value-of-an-innovation-in-isolation-you-have-to/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [Curating our data is valuable. Like 23andMe - while selling us the chance to know whether we're Vikings or whatever, they're amassing these huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/curating-our-data-is-valuable-like-23andme-while-selling-us-the/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [A century ago the Spanish flu confounded scientists and devastated whole regions, but while today's society has air travel and an enormous, heterogeneous population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/a-century-ago-the-spanish-flu-confounded-scientists-and-devastated/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [We have this imbalance where the people who are making algorithms aren't talking to the people who are using them. And the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/we-have-this-imbalance-where-the-people-who-are-making-algorithms/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [On average, the higher the novelty score a film had, the better it did at the box office. But only up to a point.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/on-average-the-higher-the-novelty-score-a-film-had-the-better-it-did/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [Wind depends on temperature. Temperature depends on pressure. And pressure depends on wind. It's an intricate mathematical tapestry that is far too intertwined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/wind-depends-on-temperature-temperature-depends-on-pressure-and/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [I don't like the algorithms that don't do what they claim they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/i-don-t-like-the-algorithms-that-don-t-do-what-they-claim-they-do/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [Everything we're doing online is being not just monitored, but that information is being packaged up and sold and resold to manipulate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/everything-we-re-doing-online-is-being-not-just-monitored-but-that/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [Our long-range predictions - especially those which anticipate extreme-weather events - rely on an assumption that the future will be similar to the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/our-long-range-predictions-especially-those-which-anticipate-extreme/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

[Explore all 60 Hannah Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

## More Find quotes

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/)

[Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/)

[David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/)

[Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/)

[Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/)

> [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

> [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/)

[Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/)

> [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/)

[King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/)

> [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/)

[Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/)

> [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. I always try to find something from other genres, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/for-me-i-like-to-be-different-i-didn-t-want-to-imitate-another/)

[Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/)

> [For young people in the U.K. who find themselves without anywhere to live - perhaps they have left the family home after a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/for-young-people-in-the-u-k-who-find-themselves-without-anywhere-to/)

[Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/)

[Browse all 11,342 Find quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is this dusty old textbook that was finished hundreds of years ago, and all the answers are in the back. Whereas in my job I struggle to find anything that maths can't offer an interesting perspective on.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hannah Fry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-school-that-maths-is-this-dusty/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Find"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-school-that-maths-is-this-dusty/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78c/hannah-fry-11411_find_i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-sc_1287776.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think people have this hang-up from school that maths is this dusty old textbook that was finished…” — Hannah Fry",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Hannah Fry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think people have this hang-up...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-school-that-maths-is-this-dusty/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/i-think-people-have-this-hang-up-from-school-that-maths-is-this-dusty/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
