The Number 23 - coincedence or not?

[CenturionV]

Selective perception is a powerful thing. I have a test for you to do, pick another number at random. Say 157. Or pick something easily remembered, like the last 3 digits of your phone number. See how often this number appears in the next month, and compare it to how often the number 213 does. It will likely take a bit of effort to check numbers, everytime you see one, it will probably also be more convincing if you have 6 or so numbers to check. You will probably need to make the effort to always check the numbers on your grocery bill, the scores for games, etc, for the numbers you have chosen. I predict that any of these 3 digit numbers will appear an approximately equal number of times, and 213 is only relevant to you because you are noticing it, and remembering it far more easily, not because it is appearing more.

Thats quite true.

Once someone pointed out to me that when I walked under a street light it turned off, it happened again like an hour later, ever since I notice when I walk around outside I see street lights burn out right when I walk by all the time.

I could take this as showing that I'm some kind of bringer of darkness or something like that, however there is a few things I remember.

There are millions of street lights in my city, they no doubt burn out or just switch off quite often, in addition I don't have a car so I walk/bus/bike all over the place, all the time, thus giving me a very good chance of happening upon street lights just as they burn out.

I only notice because someone told me about it, I don't cause it anymore than normal.

 

[Love]

in that case ill try 72

 

[ummmm........]

I'm alarmed that I've seen no previews for this movie . . .

 

[Ansar]

Looks like a good movie.

 

[amadeus]

MobBoss, you've lost your mind.

As for the purchases, it doesn't surprise me. Your sales tax is probably 6.25% or 6.5%, like Minnesota.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

8675309 is mine.

 

[MobBoss]

Selective perception is a powerful thing. I have a test for you to do, pick another number at random. Say 157. Or pick something easily remembered, like the last 3 digits of your phone number. See how often this number appears in the next month, and compare it to how often the number 213 does. It will likely take a bit of effort to check numbers, everytime you see one, it will probably also be more convincing if you have 6 or so numbers to check. You will probably need to make the effort to always check the numbers on your grocery bill, the scores for games, etc, for the numbers you have chosen. I predict that any of these 3 digit numbers will appear an approximately equal number of times, and 213 is only relevant to you because you are noticing it, and remembering it far more easily, not because it is appearing more.

Done and done. Perhaps I should keep a journal for a couple of months and log it. 157 it is, simple because you mentioned it at random.

Do you notice them the moment you see them? Or do you remember afterwards, "Hey, that was 213."?

I notice it immediately, even if it is only a moments flash on a tv commercial.

 

[nihilistic]

Numerology is for idiots.

 

[Old Spice]

I don't know the #69 follows me around everywhere I go, it seems to linked to me in some way.

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

Not really but on most albums my favourite song number is 7, and its the one i've used my whole life in darkroom equipment (but thats out of choice).

 

[Synobun]

My number which follows me around is 11

 

[Red Door]

23 is the number of Michael Jordan. That's the only meaning of it, everything else is imagined.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

23 is the number of Michael Jordan.

This was my first thought when I opened this as well.

 

[pboily]

Suppose a bunch of people with "influence" had a thing for the number 23. I imagine they could put it in movies, or commercials, or books or whatnot, so that you'd end up with a number that shows up much more often than it was supposed to.

In 100 years, would they remember why 23 (or 213, or 157) shows up more often? I'd be pretty spooked...

 

[El_Machinae]

Rutabaga

I think this is an awfully interesting concept. It's one reason why some people feel more lucky or persecuted than others. It's also why some people are so insistant upon lucky numbers.

Here's another bet for the OP: I'll bet that you'll see the word 'discordianism' sometime this week, too, even though it's a fairly 'new' word

 

[Alvaro da Luna]

I constantly, by constantly I mean throughout my life. I've always seen some combination of {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9} in some form or another. It's driving me nuts.

 

[nihilistic]

I constantly, by constantly I mean throughout my life. I've always seen some combination of {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9} in some form or another. It's driving me nuts.

I think it is time. I hereby formally introduce to you: Mr. 0.

 

[DBear]

Sponsored by Dr. Pepper?

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

I always summed up the car plate number that I saw.

 

[PrincepsAmerica]

Oh man I opened this thread and glanced at the clock. 12:23.