Re: CHAT: Coming out of the conlang closet

Nihil Sum scripsit:

>Wha hunh?
>
>>I'd expect most Conlangers are INTPs (Introvert Senser Thinker Perciever)
>>These people love logical systems, such as language, mathematics, physics,
>>any science, and computers.  I know I am.
>
This particular bit of psychobabble is unfamiliar.  I did recently take a
little pop-up IQ test, which, aside from delivering an insulting score,
informed me I had a "something-something type mentality" (forget the exact
term) which translated essentially to "you have the mind of a file-clerk".
I already knew that.)
>
>Couldn't stand math at all. Physics to me was just math but the students
had
>these calculators that you could use to play tetris. I'm no mathematician
or
>scientist: I'm mostly a musician. The only science I ever dug was
biology --
>and I only took that cause I needed four credits and it was the only
science
>that didn't involve math. Computers (scream) to me are the boxes that you
>tell to do something and then watch helplessly as they proceed to follow
>their own whims. Language, on the other hand, I deeply dig (or I wouldn't
be
>writing one!), but I don't think it's a "logical system". My own language
>reflects this. It is full of idioms, inconsistancies, exceptions, and
>beautiful beautiful irregularities. It's an "illoglan".

Sounds a lot like me.  Except I _liked_ math, I just didn't quite understand
it (poor teaching in the 1940s-- our little minds were not disturbed by such
concepts as counting in bases other than 10).  My disenchantment with
science began in HS when I was required to abandon 4th yr Latin in favor of
Chemistry, since I planned at the time to do pre-med in college (parents,
doncha know).  But college chemistry was such a totally Other country that
it was quickly abandoned for Romance Langs, to the disgust of my parents
("How do you except to become president of Genl. Motors with THAT?").

Curiously, when I finally finished college a bit late, we were required to
take an Intro to Math-- this at the time when "New Math" was just hitting
the scene; our textbook was by the (in)famous Morris Kline.  It was a
fascinating course.  After I aced the final exam in 20 mins., the instructor
asked if I wouldn't consider majoring in math.  Politely declined; internal
comment "surely you jest".  Yet amazingly, when I later took up amateur
house-building, such things as angles, radii and circumferences came in
handy.

I totally agree with your thoughts on the computer.  It's the best
typewriter I've ever owned, and doen't require new ribbons every few
months......and you can order books, CDs and filthy videi with it.