Dedekind Memes

You: "2+2=4" Mathematician: *stares in existential horror* The rest of us just add numbers, but mathematicians need to prove the universe exists first. Those Peano-Dedekind axioms are basically the mathematical version of making sure your foundation isn't built on philosophical quicksand before claiming your house has four walls. Next time you do simple arithmetic, remember you're skipping about 300 pages of proof that numbers are real.