Breaking the Symbol Barrier?

I found the breaking the symbol barrier to be very interesting but it left me with a number of lingering questions. The first is, the video narrator made a distinction between everyday math and higher order math. I wonder how he drew that distinction? Another question of mine is whether everyday math can translate into higher order math. For example, understanding discrete processes like optimal allotments of inventory to a cart or store location, an example of everyday math, seems like it would have deep implications for a person’s ability to understand optimization problems more generally.