What do secret numbers mean? Numbers have always held a special significance in cultures around the world. From lucky numbers to unlucky numbers, the way we perceive numbers can vary greatly depending on where we are from. In some countries, certain numbers hold a mysterious and even fearful significance, invoking superstitions and cultural beliefs that can influence daily life.
One such example is the number
4 in many East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and South Korea. The fear of the number
4 is so prevalent that many buildings skip the 4th floor altogether, similar to the way buildings in Western cultures often skip the 13th floor. This fear, known as tetraphobia, stems from the fact that the word for "
four" sounds similar to the word for "
death" in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. This association with death has led to a widespread belief that the number
4 is unlucky and should be avoided at all costs.
Another commonly feared number is 666. In Western cultures, the number 666 is often avoided or considered unlucky due to its negative connotations.
On the other hand, there are also numbers that are considered lucky or auspicious in various cultures. The number
7, for example, is often seen as lucky in Western cultures due to its prominence in religious texts and mythology. In Chinese culture, the number
8 is considered extremely lucky because the word for "eight" sounds similar to the word for "wealth" or "prosper" in Chinese.
General, people's attitudes towards numbers are often influenced by cultural and societal factors. The study found that people tend to associate certain numbers with positive or negative emotions based on their cultural background and upbringing.
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Journal of Experimental Psychology #somethinginteresting #facts
