I have always had a strange feeling that even numbers are round, friendly and helpful because they are willing to be divided by two (and also because 2, 6 and 8 at least ARE roundy).
Odd numbers are mean and spiky and obnoxious because they refuse to be divided by two. (Also 1, 3, 5, and 7 ARE sort of pointy.)
Odd numbers are also bad because you can't share odd numbers of anything with a friend.
A childhood belief about counting
others believed things like this
- I used to believe that numbers had gender, that the odd numbers were boys and even numbers were girls. — Evelyn
- Numbers went up to 100 then restarted at zero.Anon
- The highest of all numbers was "a finnety."— Becky
- i used to belive that 1 to 10 were the only numbers and all others were made up.....— Eric
- I used to believe there was a limit on the numbers you could count — Carmen
- I used to be terrified of the numbers 18 and 19. I think I thought that when you turned 18 or 19, you die.— Emmy