If I were again beginning my studies, I would follow the advice of Plato and start with mathematics.

Build the foundation before the discovery

There's something quietly radical in Galileo's admission here. This isn't a famous scientist gatekeeping—it's someone near the end of his life recognizing he'd built his understanding backwards. He'd learned to observe nature brilliantly, to question authority, to think experimentally. But he's saying: start with the structure first. Learn how to think in patterns, relationships, and precision before you try to decode the world.

We still get this backwards. We want the payoff immediately—the interesting discovery, the big idea, the practical application. But mathematics isn't really about numbers. It's about training your mind to see connections, to follow logic ruthlessly, to catch yourself when you're being sloppy. Learning math early isn't about becoming a scientist; it's about developing the kind of thinking that keeps you from fooling yourself, whether you're reading an argument, managing money, or just trying to understand what's actually happening versus what you feel.

The real insight is simpler than it sounds: foundation matters more than we think, and there's no shortcut to clear thinking. Galileo had the luxury of realizing this only after becoming brilliant. Most of us don't get that second chance, which makes listening to the advice that much more valuable.