Weird things

[chickenfeet]

Since all the cool kids are doing it. Five weird things that I do.

1. I'm obsessively early for things. I'm often the first person to show up for an event and my brain simply cannot process the concept of "fashionably late".

2. I twiddle my thumbs. A lot.

3. I can't play any game less than seriously. That doesn't mean I'm hyper competitive and absolutely have to win but it does mean I play to the best of my ability and it pisses me off when other people prat about.

4. I wear bow ties more often than a four in hand. (And, yes, I can tie one).

5. I'm one of those mathematical types who, pace the lurking Kantians, knows that numbers (including "imaginary" and "complex" numbers) are in some sense, probably Platonic, "real".

Comments

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

Why is number five weird? Genuinely bemused. Are there people who think they're invented?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I'm just winding up jupitah. She may be formidably clever and much smarter than me but she doesn't get what we of the of the mathematical tendency just know.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Seriously, most people don't perceive the world in the same way as mathematicians. Not even all mathematicians (even good ones) get it. Read the Penrose/Hawking debates. Hawking is a pure materialist. He neither knows nor cares whether numbers are "real".

[keithlard.livejournal.com]

It all depends what you mean by real and you get into one of those arguments about the meanings of words which wastes everyone's time.

Numbers certainly seem to be more real than most other things, if indestructibility is anything to go by. You could remove all the matter and energy in the universe and pi would still be 3.14 and a bit.

The old programmer's joke about 'God is real, unless declared integer' seems to be heading towards this thread with an awful inevitability.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I am not sure if any of these things count as weird. Interesting, yes - except maybe twiddling thumbs. (Me, I bite my nails.)

[pigsnout000.livejournal.com]

well now i know which parent i got the having to be early or exactly on time & the being serious while playing a game or sport thing from.
- kate