Reddit reviews Mathematics and Humor

I will elaborate on lexxvs; our brains have evolved to survive, not to perceive reality.

I personally strive for open-mindedness/flexibility and creativity. Logic/rationality is awesome, but do not get too clingy/fundamental, since it is, after all, a human invention and exceptions has been shown in physics.

• see Robert Anton Wilson explains Quantum Physics
  
  >(...)it [quantum physics] is only puzzling for people who are raised under Aristotelian logic, it's either A or ~A.
  
  
• Also see: Quantum correlations with no causal order
  
  >should we strive to apply evidence-based reasoning in all aspects of our lives, or can we allow some degree of irrationality for certain experiences?
  
  Sure. See reductio ad absudrum. You basically make an unwarranted illogical position, for the sake of proof. Mathematicians use that technique to solve the problem like; there are no largest prime numbers. Also see Edward de Bono on creative thinking.
  
  Humour (probably the most powerful form of creative thinking), also uses the same technique. See: John Allen Paulos, "Mathematics and Humor: A Study of the Logic of Humor"
  
  I normally have a go at things, whatever they are. Like an argument. I will hold a strong position, one way or the other. I do this for two reasons. First, it stimulates both parties to (re-)think. And secondly, it challenges assumptions. If the opposite party shows me wrong, with strong arguments. Then I change my mind. The weaker my confidence, the more flexible I am. But I will always have a go, and am not afraid to be showed wrong. ;)
  
  So to summarise, be:
  
  
• clear
  
• exact
  
• open-minded/flexible
  
• creative
  
• confident; have a go at it!
  
• patience, take your time.
  
• and perhaps most important, look for value.
  
  >"Is", "is." "is"—the idiocy of the word haunts me. If it were abolished, human thought might begin to make sense. I don't know what anything "is"; I only know how it seems to me at this moment.
  
  — Robert Anton Wilson, The Historical Illuminatus, as spoken by Sigismundo Celine
  
  
  
  
  

I recommend Paulos' Mathematics and Humor if you find this sort of thing interesting and want a bit more of a popular and expanded treatment. http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Humor-Study-Logic/dp/0226650251

You might appreciate this book. It tries to describe humor in a mathematical sense (although few equations actually appear). Plus, it gives you a short primer on a few fascinating mathematical concepts, e.g., the Incompleteness Theorem.