Why We Count
Nov 04, 2024 | by Claudio Salusso
“Claudio, camminiamo,” Nonno would say, and both of us left the house for long walks. Nonno always walked slowly with both hands behind his back, in silence, careful not to step on puddles or broken tiles. I walked next to him and felt taller and stronger. It was on one of those walks when I told him I could count to 100 all by myself “molto bene, avanti,” he replied, looking at me with kind, encouraging eyes. I began counting aloud. The thrill is still with me to this day. When I passed the challenging midpoint of 50 and entered into the patterns of 60’s, 70’s onward I knew I was going to succeed, and that before the end of our walk I would deliver the much coveted 100-count all by myself. My only fear was the last numbers, from 95 on they are so similar I knew from experience. So, when I pronounced 99 nonno stopped to mouth one-hundred with me. Laying one hand on my shoulder, visibly proud, and stretching his back he uttered the most beautiful, hopeful words I had heard “sarai un brav’uomo.” (you’re a good man) Yes, I hope one day to be a good man.
We count because we can. Our need to decode the world and set the landscape of objects into a topography of certainties is innate. I often wonder whether animals count.
Do sheep count shepherds? Does a besieged elk count how many grey wolves are encircling him? Do horses count how many riders they’ve carried?
We count because we have the capacity for abstraction--which is withdrawing from the sensory world. Here lies the tender difficulty of bringing mathematics too early to the growing child who is, by definition, a complete sense-organ. We demand, “Count! Think!” When they are all about sensing the world! Dear readers, children count and think when they are naturally ready to do so.
Napoleon invaded Russia with 600,000 troops of which 60,000 returned 6 months later. Marvel. Compute: 540,000 perished in 180 days; that is, 3,000 soldiers on average died per day!
At 93 million miles away, sunlight takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach the earth. Marvel. Compute: 93,000,000 divided by 500 seconds = 186,000 miles per second!!
We marvel at the power, beauty, and transparency of mathematics—the one and only common language among the people of the world.
When asked, these are the answers of some students:
“To keep track.”
“To have order.”
“To understand the world.”
“To agree with others.”
“To control our surroundings.”
“To measure things.”
I really like the last one: to measure things. I hope that the measuring devices and techniques we give them are filled with compassion, kindness, and love.
Nonno, I am still counting to 100.
~Señor