The personality of numbers as revealed in sudoku
Something’s just become clear to me: the reason why I like sudoku is because it’s a sociable, strategic game. Sure, I play alone, in theory. But equally, the numbers are playing me. Each one has a distinct personality and they use their unique strengths to the hilt.
Anyway I’ve just spent a happy pointless hour with my pals, numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and 9. I’m still getting to know them, but so far, here’s how I read them. They’re all female except for 6, 7 and 9.
- is the head prefect, calm and reliable but without charisma
- is a cooperative type, often negotiating with best friend 3
- is placid, phlegmatic, floating along with no apparent interest in proceedings, easily underestimated
- is probably my favourite: bolshy and rude, sometimes sneaking in the shadows, sometimes elbowing her way into the action; does her dirty work with an umbrella
- is kind and will help you when she can
- is a dancer, musical, enthusiastic, but often clumsy
- is an entrepreneur, bold, sharp, super-energetic and a bit scary
- is large, hungry, a squatter
- is enigmatic and dignified. He has his mind on higher things. He has more natural authority than number 1 but never needs to exert it: the others just get out of his way.
I have no idea whether the personalities of numbers are due to genes, environment or star signs. And I have no idea whether they show different characteristics outside of the sudoku playground, or maintain their identity in all circumstances.
For answers, I’m looking to you. I’ve googled the psychology of numbers etc. to no avail but I cannot be the one person in the world to whom they have revealed their personalities. Please share your knowledge: knowledge is power, and you could earn the gratitude of sudoku players worldwide.
In fact there’s a business here for somebody, an industry even … you’re welcome!
Numbers and I lost each other in the fourth form – year 10 – after starting off well. So I am totally lost but I will be very interested to see what you find out.
I’m done with my personal research 🙂 but I too am keen to hear what others think. Or know.
Can’t say I feel the connection to numbers having personalities, but maybe it’s true.
I suspect you have to play on your phone. (Skeptic!)
Hahaha….true!
I have no idea as to why we think numbers have personalities but I do believe, as a society, we do. Maybe it has something to do with the conditioning we’re subjected to by these numbers in our lives. However, I think of two of those numbers as having different personalities than you’ve assessed. I think of 3 as being child-like and mischievous. I think of 5 as being cantankerous.
Aha! Only two different? I thought they would all be!
Maybe our childhoods were similar in some way.
Sounds like Numerology, Rachel. In that, each number has a ‘meaning’. I used to be into – not anymore, but it’s interesting. Have a google for it. 🙂
Apart from that, I have dyscalculia (number-version of dyslexia).
I am glad to say this personal silliness if mine has nothing in common with numerology! This is just a poet’s whimsy.
Dyscalculia must be exasperating!
I would think the roundish numbers are the female ones, that is the 2 and 3 and 6 and 8. The 9 is still undecided which camp she wants to belong to. The 1 is truly male, the 4 and 7 as well and the 5 was female in early times, but has decided for now that it is better to belong to the male camp.
Great thoughts from a great thinker. Not that I agree, mind you. Except … hmm …
I’ve only recently taken up Sudoku and I have become a little obsessive. I can certainly see where you are coming from and 7 is my favourite and often elusive. 9 in my book has to be female but she is dominant.I tend to work the numbers backwards from 9 down. Of course that is probably identified as a personality disorder these days.
Never let it be said! It’s a strategy and as such makes you a bit more systematic, which saves such a lot of time.
Was told at school I was a mathematical ignoramus when I returned after Whooping Cough to struggle with 100s, 10s and Units … ah, happy days! … so I love doing number puzzles now to prove those *&£>%@**#’s wrong!
I should think so! After my maths results plummeted by about 70% in a single year I know that this is a usability problem: in other words, it’s never YOUR fault.
What a funny post this is, Rachel. i’d never thought about numbers as having personalities, but since you’ve forced me to, I have to say that all numbers have the same personality: arrogant, hard to get to know, unwilling to compromise even a little bit, and difficult to manipulate. Does that give you an idea of what sort of math student I was? However, I, too, love sudoku.
Well, like any mob they’re scary when they gang up on you, but when you get to know them individually (as you do on sudoku) maybe one or two will seem befriendable.
And then there are the individuals for whom numbers are represented by colors in their mind as neurologist Oliver Sacks wrote about — synesthesia.
And that is a real phenomenon every bit as individual as my imaginary friends.
1 is mean and sarcastic, narrow-minded. 4 is a jolly fatty 5 is a stolid, worthy bore. 7 is calm, Zenish. 9 is Machiavellian. This is all quite clear, I don’t know how you could have got it so wrong.
Well OK, we can’t all have the same emotional sensitivity, and perhaps you know them better than I do. Or maybe there are swarms upon swarms of numbers out there, like princedoms or street gangs.
I am actually a number myself, so of course they are my family.
Nice to meet you, 99. Please make allowances if I got that wrong. I’m faceblind.
I prefer not to confirm or deny, with all the identity theft going on right now.
Smart move.