text: why do i have to learn trigonometry?   your brain's ability to solve problems depends on the practice in learning many techniques to solve different kinds of problems. in fact, the harder it is to pick up a new kind of problem solving technique, the better for your mental workout. no matter what field you go into or what kind of person you become, you will be better off for having trained your brain to think in many dimensions in finding solutions to problems.   it is a mistake to obsess over the fact that most people do not use trigonometry per se in their daily lives. but if you look at the people who took the time to figure it out versus the people who didn't you will see an enormous gap in their success and happiness.