--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we need more math majors who…" description: "\"I think we need more math majors who don't become mathematicians. More math major doctors, more math major high school teachers, more math major CEOs, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/jordan-ellenberg-15468_ceo_i-think-we-need-more-math-majors-who-don_3027244.jpg" --- # I think we need more math majors who don't become… ![“I think we need more math majors who don't become mathematicians. More math major doctors, more math major high school teachers, more math major CEOs, more math major senators. But we won't get there unless we dump the stereotype that math is only worthwhile for kid geniuses.” quote by Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/jordan-ellenberg-15468_ceo_i-think-we-need-more-math-majors-who-don_3027244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/jordan-ellenberg-15468_ceo_i-think-we-need-more-math-majors-who-don_3027244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/jordan-ellenberg-15468_ceo_i-think-we-need-more-math-majors-who-don_3027244.jpg) > “I think we need more math majors who don't become mathematicians. More math major doctors, more math major high school teachers, more math major CEOs, more math major senators. But we won't get there unless we dump the stereotype that math is only worthwhile for kid geniuses.” [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages broader career paths for math majors, breaking the genius stereotype. **In simple terms:** Math majors should pursue diverse careers. Key Takeaway Promote math as a versatile skill. Themes education career stereotypes diversity Mood optimistic challenging Type inspirational advocacy When to use this quote - college counseling - career fairs - policy advocacy - media campaigns Key Concepts human capital social mobility STEM outreach Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions reshape perceptions of math? - What incentives attract math majors to non‑academic fields? A Different Perspective Stereotypes persist in hiring and education systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Dump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dump/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [High school teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school-teachers/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Math Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math-major-1876221/) [Math Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math-majors-3786619/) [Math Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math-worthwhile-4928281/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Mathematicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematicians/) [Mathematicians Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematicians-math-4928280/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-teachers/) [Senators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senators/) [Stereotype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotype/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/) ## Related quotes > [I was an undergrad math major and a grad student in computer science. 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I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-was-going-to-be-a-high-school-teacher-i-was-studying-at-the/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [A high-school teacher, after all, is a person deputized by the rest of us to explain to the young what sort of world they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-capouya/a-high-school-teacher-after-all-is-a-person-deputized-by-the-rest-of/) [Emile Capouya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-capouya/) > [I don't get pat down, you know what's on the waist, I don't mean Jazz when I say I "count base." Fly Louis sneakers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheek-louch/i-don-t-get-pat-down-you-know-what-s-on-the-waist-i-don-t-mean-jazz/) [Sheek Louch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheek-louch/) > [Do you remember that kid that had sex with his high school teacher? I was reading online that he died today. He died from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/do-you-remember-that-kid-that-had-sex-with-his-high-school-teacher-i/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [I was fortunate that when I was first starting out in New Orleans, I had a remarkable high-school teacher. And she was a great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/i-was-fortunate-that-when-i-was-first-starting-out-in-new-orleans-i/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [I would start by writing to an adult, maybe a high school teacher, or maybe an aunt or uncle, and writing and telling them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-would-start-by-writing-to-an-adult-maybe-a-high-school-teacher-or/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [In high school, a teacher once suggested that I be a math major in college. I thought, 'Me? You've got to be joking!' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-mckellar/in-high-school-a-teacher-once-suggested-that-i-be-a-math-major-in/) [Danica McKellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-mckellar/) > [There are a lot of jobs in the financial industry that do need a math major.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/there-are-a-lot-of-jobs-in-the-financial-industry-that-do-need-a-math/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) ## More by Jordan Ellenberg > [My reading practice is one reason I mostly don't read electronically. Different books are in different rooms of my house, and one is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/my-reading-practice-is-one-reason-i-mostly-don-t-read-electronically/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Knowing mathematics is like wearing a pair of X-ray specs that reveal hidden structures underneath the messy and chaotic surface of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/knowing-mathematics-is-like-wearing-a-pair-of-x-ray-specs-that-reveal/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“numerically flavored advice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/numerically-flavored-advice/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“If you decide what color jelly beans to eat based just on the papers that get published, you’re making the same mistake the army…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/if-you-decide-what-color-jelly-beans-to-eat-based-just-on-the-papers/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Risky strategies can be analyzed numerically; uncertain strategies, Ellsberg suggested, were beyond the bounds of formal mathematical analysis”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/risky-strategies-can-be-analyzed-numerically-uncertain-strategies/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Mathematics is common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/mathematics-is-common-sense/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“if we now feel comfortable rejecting the conclusions of the Witztum study, what does that say about the reliability of our standard statistical tests?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/if-we-now-feel-comfortable-rejecting-the-conclusions-of-the-witztum/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“His most famous paradox goes like this. I decide to walk to the ice cream store. Now certainly I can’t get to the ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/his-most-famous-paradox-goes-like-this-i-decide-to-walk-to-the-ice/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Data is messy, and inference is hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/data-is-messy-and-inference-is-hard/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Math is a science of not being wrong about things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/math-is-a-science-of-not-being-wrong-about-things/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“scientists and statisticians have already been worrying about them for quite some time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/scientists-and-statisticians-have-already-been-worrying-about-them/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“torturing the data until it confesses,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/torturing-the-data-until-it-confesses/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Nonlinear thinking means which way you should go depends on where you already are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/nonlinear-thinking-means-which-way-you-should-go-depends-on-where-you/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“Yes, the existence of human life is evidence for the existence of God; but it’s much better evidence that our world was programmed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/yes-the-existence-of-human-life-is-evidence-for-the-existence-of-god/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [“if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/if-he-fails-at-least-fails-while-daring-greatly/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) [Explore all 43 Jordan Ellenberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) ## More Ceo quotes > [When you're young and you have money, you become the CEO, automatically, of life, of your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-haim/when-you-re-young-and-you-have-money-you-become-the-ceo-automatically/) [Corey Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-haim/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [I learned a lesson that I don't ever want to be a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-learned-a-lesson-that-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-a-ceo/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [Strategy is not a solo sport, even if you're the CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/strategy-is-not-a-solo-sport-even-if-you-re-the-ceo/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. 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They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we need more math majors who don't become mathematicians. More math major doctors, more math major high school teachers, more math major CEOs, more math major senators. 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