QCQ: Mindset

Quote: "It goes by different names, but its the same thing. It's what makes you practice, and what allows you to dig down and pull it own when you most need it"

Comment: The quote above is alluding to positive character; having the motivation to train, and having the hunger for honest victory. Great athletes all share positive character. This reading speaks a lot to motivated athletes, it speaks to the idea that athletes aren't champions at the finish line, rather they are champions in the days upon weeks upon years of training they dedicate for a single moment. But why do athletes dedicate so much time and effort for a moment? They give this time and effort for the glory of victory, the sound of success, the feeling of completion, greatness. Math is in some respects the same way, much like how athletes train to attain their goals, students must study and dedicate their time to understanding math. Once they have begun to do this, they are on the right path to the math equivalent of glory, succes, and completion: an A in Dave's class.

Question: In competitive environments, is it still important to help others?

QCQ: Leibniz

Quote: “Leibniz lived in a period when it was still possible – as his own astounding career demonstrated – for a very highly intelligent and hard working scholar to absorb all the knowledge of his time”

Comment: Upon first look of this excerpt, one would likely construe “ absorbing all knowledge” as a great accomplishment, however underestimating its difficulty relative to the same challenge in the present. This perception, of course, is highly inaccurate, for it underestimates the discoveries found by other great minds before Leibniz, such as Euclid, Aristotle, and many others. With this information, one should immediately envy Leibniz for, not only his discoveries and contributions to philosophy and mathematics, but also for his mind and motivation.

With this quote, also comes a very important lesson, that success isn’t only achieved by innate talent, but by the combination of both your innate ability and personal effort. Implied in the reading, Leibniz “aimed to gain credibility of a critical thinker” in other words, he wanted to be known for his academic discoveries. To attain his goal, Leibniz studied and worked for years to increase his mathematical knowledge. With his concentrated effort and commitment, he was able to achieve his goal and leave a legendary mathematical legacy.  My point is that one will not likely achieve his goal on his “God given” abilities; rather he will achieve his goals with a combination of his abilities and concentrated effort.

Question: Was the author of this reading being literal in my chosen excerpt? Could an individual really attain all academic knowledge?