Sense, Nonsense, and Not-Sense

I wasn't a big fan of Life either, but it was a game I was given by a relative for some occasion, and so we played it because it was in the house.

I can't compare the average american to my friends - I've got pretty smart friends ;). But I see what you mean - there isn't quite the same "oh, you aren't smart" kind of stigma attached to not understanding math that there is to not being able to read. IF you can't read, you get labeled an idiot by most people, but those same people would probably excuse poor math skills.

I'll admit, I'm horrid at what I consider higher math - but to me, higher math is stuff like Calculus. I can do Algebra, Geometry, Stats, Accounting, and even a bit of Trig. Lots of other people think Geometry is higher math. I remember I wasn't quite good enough at the Math placement test at Penn State to skip College Algebra, but I wound up being the smartest person in my class. It absolutely floored me the number of students who had problems with the whole "solve for x" thing.