What is Thomas Gradgrind's basic attitude towards human experience?

Question

And why is he described with "a rule and a pair of scales and the multiplication table always in his pocket"?

Answer 1

he believed one should pay attention to only facts, that they are what made up reality, and one should live /think in those terms, for instance, you shouldnt use a rug with flowers on it, as you wouldnt set a table on or walk on flowers, to ignore the fact of what a flower is, and use its representation in another way, was incorrect . he felt everything could be counted or mearsured or placed into a fact category, hence the description of him