Have you ever thought of eliminating stress through Mathematics? One might wonder if this is even possible as we are tempted to think that Mathematics causes stress. What causes stress is not Maths but the way it is taught. The link between Mathematics and happiness is not to be undermined. There are reports that one who develops a bond with numbers finds the same kind of happiness that poets find when dealing with words and dreams. It might be diplomatic to think that a bond can be formed in a class as well but this is rarely observed as the mind is preoccupied with the need to grasp. The subject per-se takes a back seat.
Fear and interest do not go hand in hand and there are no exceptions to this rule. In a classroom fear plays the role of clearing the subject and bond is seldom developed. A subject is not there to be cleared but to be mastered. Unless this percolates there will be a gap between the student and the subject. A teacher who successfully develops in a student interest in a subject is sensitive to the needs of a student and reaches out to more students than can ever be imagined by a dictatorial teacher.
It is important to understand to what extent Mathematics can give happiness to an individual. Young children who are encouraged to play with numbers look to mathematical problem-solving as a source of relief from the stress of life later as they grow up. One must understand that a student who is deprived of the pleasure of Mathematics is deprived of the happiness that it affords. Mathematics is impersonal as a result of which the individual is relieved from thoughts centred on his/her identity and relationship with the world. It removes the pressures of the world by taking the individual out of himself/herself and facilitating identification with thought. Mathematics relives adults from ego and id complexes as it makes them forget themselves through the beauty of its rigour.
There is an aspect of mathematics which makes it to a large extent logical; there is also the creative aspect and the discovery of clarity. The creative aspect and the discovery of clarity in thought are not given due emphasis in formal schooling. In reality they play a pivotal role in sharpening logical thinking. With online tutoring becoming more popular the correlation between creativity and Mathematics is gaining strength. When this is established in young learners they will find in Mathematics a source of infinite joy.