(an exercise revealing Eurocentrism)
by Jim Craven
Conduct this excercise with your class, group, or plenary.
1. Think of any three DIFFERENT single-digit integers (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
2. Let a = the first number you thought of;
let b = the second number you thought of;
let c = the third number you thought of;
3. Let the single-digit integers you thought of (in order) = a b c
4. Now reverse the order of numbers = c b a
5. Next subtract the smaller three-digit number from the larger:
e.g. a b c - c b a (if: a b c > c b a);
or the reverse (cba-abc) if c b a > a b c
6. Let a b c - c b a = d e f
7. Next add the individual integers of the result d + e + f = ?
You have already written the result (?) on a separate piece of paper
NOTES TO FACILITATOR:
1. First students will say this is “magic” and you note there is no such
thing as “magic” only illusion;
2. Next students will say “How did you do it?” and you answer “You tell
me”.
3. Next students will say try another three numbers? You do it and again
come up with the same number…
4. “Students will say now we KNOW how it is done; it is always…” and I’ll
say “Yes you may know HOW but do you KNOW WHY is is always…?”
5. Next you show the proof:
a b c
- c b a
_____________
1. Since a b c are three DIFFERENT singe-digit integers;
2 Since a b c > b c a
3. Then:
f = c + 10 - a (when a > c then c - a = c + 10 -a)
e = b -1 +10- b (borrowing 1 from b; b - 1 - b = b - 1 + 10 - b
d = a - 1 - c (borrowing 1 from a)
Adding d + e + f across we get + a - a; + b - b; + c - c;
10 + 10 -1 -1 = 18
OR ANOTHER WAY TO EXPLAIN
1,2,3 now reverse 3,2,1; next 321 -123 = 198 and 1 + 9 + 8 = 18
and even with 0
4,6,0 reversed 0, 6, 4; next 460 - 064 = 396 and 3 + 9 + 6 = 18
“This is a great exercise for showing how institutions prescribe and
proscribe laws, rights, responsibilities, constraints, hidden logic and
agenda, relations, values, myths, traditions, power structures, taboos etc
so as to condition, reinforce, predict and manipulate human behavior
individually and in the aggregate.”
NEXT
Then you go into a whole thing about how you got them to accept the basic rules
and premises of the illusion and from there the rest was easy and quite
predictable.
The facilitator then goes into discussions of Social Structures of
Accumulation (SSAs) which are dynamic complexes of interrelated
politico-legal, sociocultural and economic institutions, relations and
structures related to the epxanded reproduction of capital and capitalism.
Also go into the Stanley Milgram stuff on obedience of authoritarian
premises, structures, games etc with little critical thinking or asking
why?
One more:
1. Think of a single-digit integer (Z) from the following 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
2) Multiply the integer Z you thought of by 9
Z times 9 = XY (two-digit number)
3) Add the individual single-digit integers x + y = B
4. Subtract 5 from B = ?
5. Think of a letter of the English alphabet whose position in the
alphabet corresponds with that number of B - 5
6. Think of a country whose name starts with that letter (usually it is a
certain European Country)
7. Think of the last letter of the name of that country
8. Think of an animal whose name starts with the last letter of the name
of that country
Hint: letter K is commonly is an animal found on only one continent.
The second exercise, any single digit integer other than Zero, 1-9 when
multiplied by 9 yields a two-digit integer (except 1 which yields only 9)
that when the individual single-digit integers are added up, they all yield
9 (9 x 2 = 18 or 1 + 8 = 9; 9 x 3 = 27 or 2 + 7= 9; 9 x 4 = 36..
9 - 5 = 4
The 4th letter of the alphabet is D and most people think only of Denmark
and not say Dominican Republic, Djibouti and the last letter of the name of
the country K, most think of a kangaroo and not say a Krait. This can be
used as a test of eurocentric thinking or awareness.