Neither shame nor pride

It is curious when I observe that for some people, they take pride in mathematicalization of their work while the others do exactly the opposite.

For the former, they would like to judge the work by how advanced mathematically it is. For them, mathematics, is good, people deal with hard stuff. Physics, equally good, but perhaps not as good. Bio and Chem, nah, the maths is too simple--it is for people who cannot handle maths.

For the latter, they hate to see maths. It is nerdy in a bad way. Not everything can be quantified. What is the point of being consumed in such abstract and mind-boggling things. why over-complicate things?

Personally, I feel maths is a tool for our use. We should be neither proud nor shamed of the tool we use. What matters is what we make out of it. If it is crap that came out, does it matter that we use the best best and most sophisticated tool? Actually if we only made crap with such good tools, it is even more shameful--what does this say about the person who used the tool?

There is much lament about getting mathematical for the sake of it in more applied sciences. In statistics, there are people who rejects Mathematical Statistics as Theoretical Statistics, as some of the results are just applying maths in a statistical setting without having any meaning, or serves as theory for something useful. Similar in economics, many exotic theories have been developed using super fancy maths, and I cannot see them more than a mathematician's game.

For fun, sure. I don't care. It is your choice. But to say it is a contribution. I dissent.

Personally, we need to do the "science" right. We must start with a "right" (important) question and a good attack on it. We do not start with some fancy tool and ask, hmm, where can I use this damn expensive tool that it took me some much time to learn?

A related issue is consent and dissent. Some like to believe that to dissent is to be original and to conform is lame. They like to categorize people who conform with their government as brain-washed, and people who dissent from their government as heroes. I could not find that to be more ridiculous.

When A or not A (A=mathematical, consent,...) becomes an objective, the original objective  (truth!!!!) gets blurred or even lost. That is sad sad sad.

As for A, neither shame nor pride should it carry. After all, it is only "truth" that can carry pride!