The psychology of numbers and why the number 7 is the luckiest

 

    When we look at numbers, they are supposed to simply represent the amount of something. But we are human, and we have our own opinions about them. Superstitions and feelings of happy and unhappy numbers form around them.

The number 13 is considered unlucky by many people. The phobia of the number 13 is known as triskaidekaphobia, and according to a study, one in ten people are superstitious about the number.

Moreover, there is an even stronger phobia associated with Friday the 13th - paraskevidekatriaphobia. It is known that because of this phobia, a person can lie in bed all day just because he is afraid of all the bad things that will happen when he goes outdoors.

For equally unique reasons, 7 is considered a lucky number.

When people are asked to pick a number between 1 and 10, 7 is most often chosen because it seems to be "the most obscure." People will stay away from 1 and 10 because they are too extreme. All even numbers have too many recognizable patterns, and 5 is too obvious because of its position in the middle. That leaves only 3, 7, and 9. 9 is too close to the end, and 7 seems to be a more obscure number than 3, and thus we get a winner.

Similarly, the number 7 is people's favorite number. A survey of 44,000 people on the Internet showed that 7, followed by the number 3, is the most common favorite number.

Although this survey was self-selected, which is not exactly consistent with psychological testing procedures, it does give a clear indication of how people perceive numbers.

The luck of the number 7 is also reinforced in our culture. Slot machines in casinos often have one of the winning lines in the form of the number 777. It is also often found in nature: 7 seas, 7 continents and 7 days of the week.

Often these associations can arise from personal experience. If, for example, you walk into a casino, lose all night, and then win a lot of money by betting the last coin on the number 7, you will think it is a lucky number, even though it actually has the same chance of falling out as any other number.

When we have this experience, it allows us to associate feelings with certain numbers, and so we have a liking for some numbers and a dislike for others.

When we have our favorite numbers, we get a little high from sitting in seat 28 at the theater or taking the number 17 bus home.