Mathematics and Student Affairs Practice

Confused as to a direction to follow? Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles 

Yes, many of you can relate to the picture above, myself included, when thinking about Mathematics or more notably Physics <insert terror screams here if your like me>. Recently I have started reading a book by Dr. Arnold Mindell titled Quantum Mind. Dr. Mindell founder of "Process Oriented Psychology," seeks to discover or more importantly heal the split that was started in the 1500's. The split originated when "science" started to created a "consensus reality (CR)" or more commonly known as empirical knowledge/objective observers and moved away from a "non-consensus reality (NCR)" or qualitative aspects of the world that dominated pre-1500's thinking, notably shamanism. Dr. Mindell notes that daily we bridge in our personal lives CR and NCR and as cited by Einstein's theory of relativity, that CR is truly in its simplest form "differing perceptions of individuals that correspond with one another" and NCR involves differing perceptions that do not collectively correspond with one another.

Arguably "empirical knowledge" is finite in a sense that over time (sometimes fast, sometimes glacially slow) CR on subjects change. A basic example of this CR shift, Geocentric to Heliocentric model of the solar system. CR reality in ancient Greece support this model for over 1500 years. It was challenged in the past, but not until Nicolaus Copernicus developed a mathematical model that was supported by Johannes Kepler and Galileo a century later, did the CR shift to the now widely accepted and supported Heliocentric model.

So going on this general simplification of CR & NCR (please read Quantum Mind for more details, its recommended) I return to the topic and title of this post: Mathematics and Student Affairs Practice. More simply than Physics, though certainly included, I wanted to highlight the concept of counting and subsequently discounting. Dr. Mindell highlights the fact that "counting is both math and psychology" (Quantum Mind pg. 33). Math creates abstract concepts representing something meaningful; what we choose that is meaningful to us represents our perceptions and thus our psychology.

Taking this into consideration, how do you "count" a productive day? Number of student visits, meaningful student conversations, crisis situations dealt with, administrative tasks completed, etc. Inherent in all of this "counting" (as simple a math concept as it is, 1, 2, 3, 4) is the marginalization or "discounting" of other observations, ideas, experiences. When you "count" your day are you aware of what you are "discounting" as well? Inherent in talking about "counting" you automatically separate yourself from the process or experience by creating a "feelingless" aggregate (whole) approximation. Often this is discounting group & individual diversity and experiences that exists. Granted, it is difficult to NOT talk or think in this process and CR since it is what we perceive to be "real", but a challenge exists and has for thousands of years, (See Verse 1, Tao De Ching) how do we "heal" this split between CR & NCR, between the left hemisphere & right hemisphere of our brains? Raising awareness is an important first step, so ask yourself, when I am "counting" something in my day to day, what else am I "discounting?" It might prove enlightening...