The quote humorously suggests that simple mental exercises, like doing ten math problems a day, might help maintain cognitive abilities and prevent senility. It implies that if this were true, bankers would possess excellent mental acuity due to their financial calculations. However, the speaker argues that this is not the case, leading to an ironic conclusion about their intelligence.

This reflection prompts a deeper consideration of the relationship between cognition and certain professions. It challenges the assumption that engaging in numerical tasks inherently leads to greater intelligence, indicating that being good at numbers doesn't necessarily equate to being insightful or wise.