OCD

[dominitus]

I'm writing up an invoice, and have to charge a client to their file number of 57375. When I come across numbers like these in life, I wonder if anyone else stops like I do, smiles like I do, appreciates like I do, or even knows what the word "palindrome" means like I do

Comments

[anfalicious]

As humans, we're want to recognise patterns everywhere. I'm big with noticing them in numbers, cos my brain works that way.

[dominitus]

I never really thought about pattern recognition as being an inherently human trait... although I know some people are better at seeing them than others. I can only assume some of the skill is genetic, the rest is trained.

I think I see patterns in numbers a lot due to working as a checkout operator at Coles for so many years. Although sometimes instead of remembering numbers for items, I would remember the shape the sequence made over the keypad instead.

Do you think your bank work made you more aware of number patterns?

[anfalicious]

No, me and numbers go way back. I was a bit of a whizz at the maths when I was young. It wasn't until year 10 (when I was doing VCE maths) that I started having to think about it, up until then it was just all obvious. I dunno, I don't see "numbers" in my head, I see colours and patterns, and that's the way it's always been (7 is yellow!).

There's been quite a bit of work regarding pattern recognition and humans, especially the way we see faces in everything (there's a word for that, but I can't remember). It's also been used to explain conspiracy theories. We're looking for a pattern to help us explain random events and our brain kind of fills in the blanks.

[bovinator]

I do :)

[dominitus]

Heheh, you're a programmer, of course you do! ;)

[bovinator]

Well I can't argue with that :P