So, the other day, I was thinking, how does knowing math impact our lives? Like, is it even a life science! What’s the philosophy behind “minus into minus equals to plus!” We all know the maths of addition and subtraction; right? 2+1=3, 2-1=1. Easy! These simple equations got my mind busy for an entire walk; from the bus stoppage to my office.

My life is a sum of events. I keep adding to my experiences everyday. Both good and bad days are compiled into a lifetime. Both good and bad phases are compiled into a life. What if we see our times via a lens of math? Does the art of living change? Should the art of living change?

Lets say, the good experiences are labeled with a plus sign and the bad ones with a minus sign. Of course it has a literal meaning in mathematics. 2-(-1)= +3, 2+(-1)= -1. If you subtract a negative number, you get a positive outcome. Similarly, if you add a negative number, your result will be negative too.

In life, it’s easy to keep on adding things; even the negative events; events that break us, events that shatter us, events that hold us in the ground, that don’t let us fly. But sometimes, subtraction can add to the positives. We can not just add and add to the pile of experiences at random. Sometimes, we need to subtract the negativity to add value to our lives. We need to slow down, breathe and may be rethink the sign we want to work with. Because sometimes, we are better when we let go; sometimes, addition is only possible by subtraction.