Do You Suffer Number Shame?

I was buying food the other day and the bill was significantly more than I was expecting, I couldn’t believe how much it cost – my initial thought was “that’s expensive” but then realised there was an error. It turned out that the bill had included someone else’s food. However our waiter hadn’t realised and so I politely asked it to be checked. He noticed the problem. He then went away, returning with the machine again, but it was still wrong – it was too little. I’m not someone to take advantage of this, so I said that it was still wrong and explained why. We got there in the end.

This all came about for two reasons, firstly reliance on technology (that it’s always correct) this is probably due to our constant use and reliance on technology, for most of us that’s our phone. You will recall perhaps the most obvious data error that ruined the lives of Post Office submasters, who adamantly claimed that their numbers were correct, but the Fujitsu Horizon system, the Post Office, the legal system and then the Government said otherwise. It has taken far too long for this to be acknowledged and corrected – it’s still not resolved.

Secondly, mental maths is not most people’s strong point, most of us don’t check bills carefully, we don’t wish to appear pedantic, ‘tight’ or expose our mathematical ability. This is usually experienced when attempting to split the bill at a restaurant. Of course, there’s an app for that, but invariably this is only a case of dividing by two or three.

There has been growing concern about financial literacy, money is complicated and not understanding it has a lot of significant issues. These can be sufficiently explained and understood, but only really if there is willingness to learn. Money literacy is fairly limited if basic understanding of maths isn’t in place and this may be due to actual problems learning about numbers and/or the feelings we have about not understanding and the shame or embarrassment that can prevent us from attempting to do so. It’s fundamental that we can learn and encourage from a place of not knowing, without shame.

One of my lasting memories of primary school was during a maths lesson. This was decades ago in the 70s. I was 7 or 8, in a small village school. As we completed our sums, we queued at our Teacher’s desk to get our work marked. I was good at maths. I took my workbook to have it marked and was surprised at the red cross that was made against one of the answers. “Do it again”.  I returned to my seat, puzzled over the question, failing to see how I had got it wrong. I couldn’t and I wrote down the same answer. Nervously I returned again to the small queue of classmates. This time she got angry, “no that’s wrong! Do it again!” this process continued for perhaps another 2 or 3 times, each time I became more upset (as did she) and each time I presented the same answer. There was no attempt to explain where I had gone wrong. Eventually it occurred to her to do so and, in a moment of embarrassment, she realised that my answer was in fact correct and she apologised and gave me a sweet to cheer up the little boy who had since become tearful.

These moments last with us, for me it knocked my confidence considerably, it probably became foundational in my lack of trust of authority, but for whatever psychological reason, it made maths an endurance; associated with anger, failure and misunderstanding.

Clearly I have enough confidence to be able to be a financial planner. I went on at secondary school to take my Maths O’Level and AO’Level two years early, so I was decent at it by then, but the truth is that this early experience shaped things. In truth even then, she was a very “old school” feared teacher who wasn’t warm or engaging, but had to be experienced in the three classroom progression of a tiny rural village school.

Here is a clip from a film I really enjoy, Hidden Figures (2016), a moment of understanding:

Hidden Figures (2016) Directed by Theodore Melfi, Starring Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae. Produced by Fox 2000 Pictures

The FT have launched a financial literacy campaign with videos. It’s aimed at everyone – children and those who teach them as well as resources for adults. It’s worth checking out, if not helpful to you, perhaps to someone you know.

When I remember to say it, (regrettably not always) I am keen to reassure you and particularly any new clients that there are no daft questions. That our “room” whether physical or virtual, is a safe space for you to be you and ask the questions that you are nervous or even embarrassed to ask. Truly, I don’t get phased by questions, I may not have a satisfactory answer or perhaps not have one at all, but to me there is no judgement about a question. It is also my role to make things clear, so if I haven’t I need to do the work better or differently. So can I please reiterate that here and now.

There are no daft questions, you aren’t expected to know everything about money, or to be honest, terribly much. We all have different talents and experience, mine is trying to help you make sense of it, in the way a childhood hero Johnny Ball used to make maths alive in his “Think of a Number” show. Here he is

BBC Archives. Think of a Number (1977-1984)

References:

The Post Office Scandal: https://www.postofficescandal.uk/

Financial Times Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC): https://ftflic.com/

Johnny Ball Think of A Number: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fy15

Hidden Figures (2016): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/  

What we do: https://www.solomonsifa.co.uk/what-we-do/