algebra is the study of unknowns.
so is life.
we just forgot.
i was never a math person.
formulas didn’t make sense. i memorized them. regurgitated them. passed the tests.
but i never understood what i was actually doing.
then someone explained it differently:
X is the unknown. formulas are patterns. the goal is to solve for what you don’t know using patterns you’ve learned.
that’s it.
every equation is just: use what you know to find what you don’t.
suddenly algebra wasn’t abstract.
it was the structure of every problem i’d ever faced.
think about it:
| algebra | life |
|---|---|
| X = the unknown | your goal, direction, next move |
| formulas = patterns | principles, frameworks, mental models |
| given values = constraints | resources, time, circumstances |
| proof = validation | outcomes that confirm you solved correctly |
we’re all doing algebra. we just don’t call it that.
functions unlocked something else.
a function is a rule that transforms inputs into outputs.
f(x) = y
you put something in. the function does something to it. something comes out.
that’s also:
- how programs work
- how systems work
- how decisions work
- how habits work
input → transformation rule → output.
once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
the reason school math felt meaningless:
no context. no visualization. no connection to anything real.
“solve for X if Y = 3.”
but why? what am i actually doing? what does X represent?
the moment you realize X is your life — the unknown you’re solving for — formulas become tools instead of torture.
principles are just patterns.
constraints are just given values.
outcomes are just proofs.
life is an equation you’re working through.
our life is X.
we’re solving for what X equals.
and in the process of solving, we’re proving what X can become.
the formulas you learn aren’t arbitrary.
they’re patterns extracted from people who solved similar unknowns before you.
you don’t memorize them to pass a test.
you internalize them to solve your own X.
i spent years thinking i was bad at math.
turns out i was bad at memorizing without meaning.
the moment math became language for navigating unknowns, it made sense.
X is the unknown.
formulas are patterns.
life is the equation.
solve for X.