Comments

  • Li
    Li
    19 Jan '10

    Hey guys, today’s post isn’t really a ‘comic’. I have a type of Synesthesia called Ordinal Linguistic Personification which means that numbers and (to a certain extent) letters have genders and personalities to me. I didn’t realise that this was not the norm until a few years ago so I thought that I would have some fun and draw the numbers up the way I see them and share them with you :) Below each person is a description of their personalities. I will have a normal comic later this week, I promise!

  • Larn
    Larn
    19 Jan '10

    3 is a loser.

  • Jerome
    Jerome
    19 Jan '10

    So in this case 3 is the loneliest number?

  • Indie
    Indie
    19 Jan '10

    Wow, cool! I wish my brain worked like that..

  • miriam
    miriam
    19 Jan '10

    wow Li Li, i did not know this... how intriguing!!! you amaze me every day :)

  • Nadim
    Nadim
    19 Jan '10

    I love the drawings! I have colour synaesthesia for weekdays. Not as fun as personalities, though!
    It is interesting how they seem to grow older with the numbers, except for 10 :)

  • swb
    swb
    20 Jan '10

    I am 3. I think 7 is hot. But if we got together, we'd turn into a motherly type of woman. I am okay with that.

  • WC
    WC
    20 Jan '10

    Wow Li! That's the first I've heard of this. I obviously don't have it, but I'm a very logical sort of person, so that doesn't really surprise me.

    I agree with swb that 7 is hot... And oddly, I was also a 3. Heh.

    Which number is the shy, logical guy with glasses that is nice when you talk to him, but never starts a conversation? ;)

  • Yenny
    Yenny
    20 Jan '10

    Cool!

    Although I disagree with 3, since it is my favorite number. I consider it young, but wise.

  • Sharky
    Sharky
    20 Jan '10

    Li, have you ever read the book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"? The protagonist, Francie Nolan, does this with her numbers, too.

  • plasticuser
    plasticuser
    20 Jan '10

    I demand a recount!

  • Nidhi
    Nidhi
    20 Jan '10

    AWESOME!!! nice shading and drawing! ^^ and i know the last one is like u Li!! (or it IS u) because u have that smile on!! and the hair-do is like urs too!

  • Roshan
    Roshan
    20 Jan '10

    The quiet smart dude is perfect.

  • San
    San
    20 Jan '10

    oh, sometimes i think this way too.. i didn't think it was abnormal though XD; i think differently from a lot of people though. cute drawings~

  • Fraser
    Fraser
    20 Jan '10

    Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7,8,9
    Lame old joke, or brutal canabalism. You decide.

  • Nadia
    Nadia
    20 Jan '10

    Woah woah I think I have that too. Wtf.

  • Mattias
    Mattias
    20 Jan '10

    As always, zero gets left out. :(

  • thinkgibson
    thinkgibson
    20 Jan '10

    Wow! I also have this, although my number-personalities are different from yours.

    Thanks for diagnosing me, Doc!

  • Nojh
    Nojh
    21 Jan '10

    That is kinda neat. I hope it isn't a disorder for you in any way. I've never heard of this version of synesthesia. Does it very or are the number's personalties always the same? Does it effect how you do math?

    Sorry if these questions are very personal.

    Once again excellent art!

  • Angelica
    Angelica
    21 Jan '10

    how weird!! I do not create personalities but I do relate colors with numbers and days of the week. I also view weeks and months in spacial sequences. I knew none of my friends did it but I did not think much of it until I read this weeks comic. I did a little research on what you said and now I am officially a synesthete. Thanks!

  • Li
    Li
    21 Jan '10

    Sharky: no I haven't, I'll look into it thanks!

    Nojh: The personalities are defined, they never change. It doesn't really affect my maths, it's just something that I'm aware of in the back of my mind. It's not too personal :)

  • Ted
    Ted
    21 Jan '10

    I immediately looked to see how you hid the numbers in the drawings. I think they're mostly clear, whether intended or not ; )

  • Thelnie
    Thelnie
    22 Jan '10

    You've got to be kidding me. I thought I was the only one who did this and nobody I asked knew what I was talking about. I learned how to add and subtract by creating stories using these personalities I had felt. Thanks! Now I know there are others and there is a name for it!

  • Taryn
    Taryn
    23 Jan '10

    Awesome! I've done a lot of reading on synesthesia but I still didn't get the comic until I read your description.
    I have color-number/letter synesthesia. Here they are:
    http://imgur.com/NNG39.jpg
    I don't ever really notice the colors most of the time, kind of like how you don't notice the fact that you're always feeling things or breathing air and stuff. It's just something that's always there.

  • Tim
    Tim
    25 Jan '10

    I thought i was the only one like that! Though mine are all female. However they vary a lot on personality. Also i only have 6 i can think of. Im glad to see im not THAT weird for doing this cuz there are others XD

  • Samantha
    Samantha
    2 Feb '10

    I don't have this with every number, but often associate people with two-digit numbers. My husband is 89, and my ex-boyfriend was 76. And it is something related to personality, not age!!

  • Rachel
    Rachel
    20 Mar '10

    I thought I was the only one who did this. I've tried to explain it to other people and they look at me like I'm crazed. I have a very different set of personalities for numbers though.

  • Margotte
    Margotte
    2 Apr '10

    I didn't even know it was unusal !

  • tessa
    tessa
    30 Apr '10

    wait that isn't normal?

    i always thought everyone knew that they all had different genders. really though. and colours have genders too, and so do letters.

    this is called something?

  • lucas
    lucas
    1 May '10

    You're probably not studying math, but how would you describe more abstract numbers? you know pi, e or imaginary numbers like the square-root of 1?

  • chris
    chris
    24 May '10

    woah! this is fukn weird! i hav this 2! i never really paid any attention to it tho an its jus like the numbers 1 ta 10 wit me! creepy... so is this like unhealty or sumtin?

  • jonny
    jonny
    24 May '10

    I have studied Synesthesia independently for a while, but I have never come across this type. Very interesting!

  • Dr. Sakuya, PhD
    Dr. Sakuya, PhD
    18 Jun '10

    6 here.

  • Courtney
    Courtney
    4 Aug '10

    This is so interesting! Thanks for sharing!

  • Super Author
    Super Author
    9 Aug '10

    I did not realize that this was not the norm. I do the same thing with numbers and letters! I always just attributed it to my colorful imagination...

  • ina
    ina
    9 Aug '10

    although i can't say anything about personalities, i can say i actually attribute the opposite genders to those numbers! except 3. i don't even know about 3

  • wick
    wick
    9 Aug '10

    thank god...i thought i was the only one who imagined this....everybody thinks im a nut case

  • Haxxo
    Haxxo
    11 Aug '10

    OH MY GOSH I HAVE THAT TOO! I have COMPLETELY different genders and personalities for all my numbers, though, but they tend to pair up almost the same way.
    Also, with letters.
    Also, EVERYTHING has a color. Even first names.

  • Dani
    Dani
    13 Aug '10

    I HAVE THAT TOO! I didn't know it had a name!!

  • Nancy
    Nancy
    13 Aug '10

    OMG! I thought I was the only one who thought that and I didn't know it was in some kind of fancy word lol but yeah I have that too but it's different.

  • Ouroborus
    Ouroborus
    14 Aug '10

    Wait, what? You do normal comics? ;P

  • jeffS
    jeffS
    15 Aug '10

    haha i am SO 6 except im pretty good looking and i model lol.

  • J
    J
    16 Aug '10

    Ohhhh! I have that!
    I forgot what kind mine's called but I associate letters and numbers with colors.

    I thought everybody did that too...until my sister looked at me like I was some crazy foo'. xD

    This is cute. Btw. :D

  • Jackie M
    Jackie M
    18 Aug '10

    I totally do this, too! Also with certain words so I remember how to spell 'em

  • Josh
    Josh
    23 Aug '10

    I guess it is more common then one would think. This is the second webcomic to mention the same thing (the other being Fudge That Sugar). I had never heard about it before.Interesting.

  • Meg
    Meg
    28 Aug '10

    I have it too, I see music :D Techno is awesome.

  • Silverscale
    Silverscale
    30 Aug '10

    I have that too! It's funny to see how people's ideas about the numbers differ, 'cause yours are nothing like mine.

  • Kristina
    Kristina
    2 Sep '10

    I know this is an old comic, but I was reading it and by the time I got to 4 I was like "OH!! She has Ordinal Linguistic Personification (thank you wikipedia) Synesthesia like me! Those are her number characters!" hehehehe. ^_^ Mine are way different though. 1 is the dad, 2 is his favorite daughter, 3 is the mean but kind of quiet older brother...etc. etc. etc. =D

  • Emily
    Emily
    3 Sep '10

    I'm majoring in cognitive neuroscience, and I'm fascinated by synesthesia. I didn't know this type even existed! Thank you for sharing! This seriously might be the coolest way in which I have ever learned something new about the brain.

  • Arthur Ghent
    Arthur Ghent
    10 Sep '10

    Fascinating! I thought I was the only one! Mine are a little different, but not by much for the first three!

    1. Is male. He is popular, well-liked, but can occasionally be bossy and a bit of a jerk. He is some sort of young teenager. Bright red.
    2. Is female. She is also popular and well liked, but is kinder and softer spoken. She and 1 are best friends, and although they both want something more, neither are willing to talk about it. She is also a young teenager. Deep blue.
    3. Is the annoying hanger-on of 1 and 2. He's not very attractive, either gangly or a little overweight, and can also be kind of a jerk. 1 is always mean to him, but in that "ha ha we're friends" way. 2. Is very kind and patient with him, although he can occasionally get on her nerves. Bile yellow.
    4. Is a young woman who is really trying her best, but it's never quite good enough. She has all the best intent, and is a very good person, but is a procrastinator and a little unreliable and scatterbrained. Periwinkle blue.
    5. Is a kid that nobody really knows much about. He keeps to himself and mostly reads. He may or may not be 6's little brother. Rust red and cream.
    6. Is a teenaged boy who hates everything. Long, stringy black hair in his eyes, always writing poetry and listening to angry music. Deep purple and black. Son of 7 and 8.
    7. Is a nervous housewife. Snappish, OCD, and hard to get along with, she runs a tight ship and is frequently cruel to her son, 6. Bright yellow.
    8. Is a once-handsome man gone to pot, greying and pudgy. He wants to be young and single again. He is having an affair with 9, which 7 knows about but will never talk about. Navy blue and grey pinstripes.
    9. Is a young, attractive, conniving woman who wears revealing clothing and lots of jewelry. She loves spending 8's money. Magenta.

    I don't have a ten!

  • Cassandra
    Cassandra
    10 Sep '10

    I totally thought I was the only one! =O

    Except mine were all like heroes and villians, the even numbers being the good guys and the odd numbers being the bad guys. I actually had a story about 2 the young hero and his quest to get to twenty. Three was his evil competition. and as far as letters go I always thought that e had a crush on the very attractive f lol xD

  • samieworlock
    samieworlock
    12 Sep '10

    brilliant :D

  • Ashley
    Ashley
    19 Sep '10

    Yessss!! I totally do this sort of thing with letters and colors, too.

    ...and silverware, and months of the year, and days of the week....

  • Amanda
    Amanda
    26 Oct '10

    I do this all the time!!!! Except nine is a muscular, thin, middle aged woman who doesn't take any crap from anyone and ten is a wealthy business man.

  • Stephanny
    Stephanny
    14 Nov '10

    This is called Synesthesia. :3

    I don't get personalities but I have a different kind of Synesthesia.

  • Aplisco
    Aplisco
    24 Nov '10

    I thought I was aloooone! My numbers' personalities are different, of course, but they're close! :D

  • Holly M.
    Holly M.
    2 Dec '10

    That's funny! I did the same thing! A bit different, but still. My 9 was a vixen. Like Marilyn Monroe almost. Definitely thought I was the only one as well. :)

  • Wes
    Wes
    18 Dec '10

    B-b-but one is the loneliest number! :P

  • Zoe
    Zoe
    20 Dec '10

    This is so crazy - I've seen people who do this before, and I do it too, but I don't get personalities, just genders. But your genders are COMPLETELY opposite from mine, except for 3! Wild.

  • Candice
    Candice
    23 Dec '10

    In general, my numbers are colored... Except 5, which is easily confused with Monday.

  • Brendan
    Brendan
    4 Jan '11

    Hmmm I,ve heard of this. I get colours for days of the week. Thursday is orange.

  • Tetchy
    Tetchy
    16 Jan '11

    That isn't normal? I thought it was. My number personalities are different though, and 10 is included. 6 is my least favorite because she is mean to her childhood friend, 7. He is a quiet normal guy, like 4. But 4 is a young girl and she seems weird because she talks even less.
    I won't bother explaining the others because it probably isn't interesting.

  • zane
    zane
    3 Feb '11

    this is by far the best mental disorder ever

  • Vanessa Salas
    Vanessa Salas
    22 Feb '11

    I didn't know there was a name for this type of thing. I have it and it's awesome.

  • Harrison
    Harrison
    25 Feb '11

    One of my friends and I have lengthy discussions about this. It's not just numbers for us. It's everything. Days of the week, months, words, letters, virtually every object, even conceptual things like reading. Reading is an aging hippie with blonde homeless-style curly hair. He is obviously old but androgynous in appearance (pale, wrinkly), is unclean and dresses in moss green tweed. All of his possessions are red, but his walls are a pale blue. He lives in a forest near a waterfall in a cottage.

  • Gaz
    Gaz
    27 Feb '11

    I love hearing about people's different synesthetic associations. I myself have a form of cognitive synesthesia that I believe is called space-time synesthesia (that or time-space synesthesia, either way it sounds sci-fi and awesome). I've only heard of two other people with it, one from an article I read and one was my neuroscience professor.

    For me, it's like I'm standing inside of this ring which represents the year. It's color-coded and all the months are at a fixed point, with Jan. 1 right in front of me. So, for example, when I'm remembering the day I graduated from college (May 31st), I'm focusing on a spot over my right shoulder that is a light yellowish-green color. When I'm planning ahead and thinking about what to be for Halloween next year, it's to my left and slightly in front of me, and colored (you guessed it) orange.

    I've known people with mirror touch synesthesia, sound-color synesthesia, and a couple people like you with number personification. (my friend saw this and said you got the genders right but her personalities are different)

  • Whill
    Whill
    28 Feb '11

    Hehe, I've done the same thing with numbers. One is a lil baby, and everyone is looking at lil baby 1 up until 5 and 6, because 6 is jealous and 5 is married to 6 :|

  • Daisy Arcos
    Daisy Arcos
    1 Mar '11

    Did anyone else realize there is a pattern? It goes girl, boy, boy, girl, boy, boy, girl, boy, boy, girl.

    Just thought I'd point that out.

  • Sarah B
    Sarah B
    6 Mar '11

    I just thought you might like to know that Vladimir Nabokov had a similar trait! He wrote about it in his autobiography _Speak, Memory_, which is wonderful :)
    Also, your comics are great.

  • Jessica
    Jessica
    22 Mar '11

    Oh my gosh, I have that too! They also have different colors. I had no idea it had a name o.o That makes me feel special :3 My favorite is 4, he's really nice, but 5 is his sister and she's kind of mean to him. 7 & 8 are married and 15 is their honeymoon :D

  • Ella
    Ella
    5 Apr '11

    I have this to a certain degree. I think I get ideas of personalities for almost everything, but the ones that are the most clear to me are numbers 1-10 and the days of the week: personalities for the numbers and colors for the days.
    1- a collage math professor, male, only has a professional relationship with the other numbers
    2- a baby boy, not much personality other than that
    3- a little girl, likes playing with dolls and dressing in pink
    4- a little boy and a nerd
    5- a little boy and a bully, slightly older and bigger than 4, but secretly smarter than him too
    6- a teenage girl, dresses in red and black, has piercings, very quiet
    7- a guy in his 20s, rather solitary, skeptical, doesn't really like 6
    8- a woman in her late 20s, very average, 4 is her little brother, she sometimes protects him when 5 gets mean
    9- a guy, popular at parties
    10- a kind father
    Monday- red
    Tuesday- pale yellow
    Wednesday- sky blue
    Thursday- aqua
    Friday- green
    Saturday- blue/gray
    Sunday- yellow, like basking in the sun

  • Lisa
    Lisa
    10 Apr '11

    Wow! I thought that was normal! Although, whenever I would always try to explain the different genders and attitudes of numbers and letters to people I know, I'd get the strangest looks and people never admitted to thinking the same thing. Thanks for making this comic. Now I know what's up. :)

  • Moojoo
    Moojoo
    18 Apr '11

    This isn't normal? Numbers pretty much all have some kind of gender to me, but not so much personality (although I've always thought 5 would be kind of an a-hole). Actually, pretty much everything has at least some vague gender to me, and sometimes some sort of personality. It never occurred to me that it wasn't normal...

  • Kassi
    Kassi
    27 Apr '11

    I stumbled across one of your comics and they're so cute and I'm currently working my way through reading all of them. I was just telling my fiance how Jordan reminds me of him (he even has that soul patch/goatee thing) and that you remind me of me when I read this one. I also have this type of Synesthesia I just found out that it was outta of the norm and considered a mental disorder just last week. I personify numbers but mine are much different than yours :) I love your comics; i'm going to continue reading til i get caught up lol.

  • Gill
    Gill
    28 Apr '11

    Me too!!! Mine go from 0 to 12, and then after that the numbers are just neighbours together. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not. I won't go into them all, but gender-wise, the males are: 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 and the females are 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12! my favourite number is 24 because 2 and 4 are beautiful, almost goddess-like and together they make a pair that is like the most delicious, delicate dessert you've ever tasted. Li, I think you are me except Chinese!!

  • liz
    liz
    2 May '11

    My Synesthesia is that numbers appear as colors/patterns. For 1-9 they're pretty much just basic colors and flat, but once you get to the 100s they get to be pretty complicated 3D structures, but multiples of 4 are special, and 246 (=4^4) kinda looks like the quaternary structure of hemoglobin =^w^=

  • Allie
    Allie
    2 May '11

    I think I have a small bit of this. Like, I can taste smells, and smell tastes, but I can also see colors with music. Each note has a kind of different color to it, and each song has its own color, too. It's odd. But it does make life interesting :)

  • Haloe
    Haloe
    8 May '11

    I never realized this wasn't normal, either. ;~;

    It's even weirder that we both have almost the same views on them. xD

  • grimm
    grimm
    1 Jun '11

    Yeah me and my sister have synesthesia she has color/sound synesthesia and I have O.L.P. For the longest time I couldn’t tell the difference between mental disorder and imagination just because of the amount of characters my mind produces. I didn’t even think to question it until I saw a reference to my sister's synesthesia in another comic and found mine. It’s really amazing because my family has always been good with math and each math problem tells a story, though not always a happy one. My numbers are as follows:

    1 a child, hyper, and best friends with 2. 1 is male and is always running around.
    2 is also a child the same age as 1 and acts the same but is female. I cant tell their exact age but its close to five years old.
    3 is brothers with 7 and 6. He is around twenty years old, dark and gloomy, and is always too busy for anything.
    4 is a book freak and can always be found reading. Sometimes she doesn’t realize where she is and sometimes cant notice stuff like rain because she's too busy reading. She is approximately eighteen or nineteen.
    5 is 4’s younger sister. Almost as young as 1 and 2 she idolizes her sister and strives to be like her, while reprimanding 1 and 2 for not doing the same.
    6 is a trickster. He is around seven or eight years old and brothers to 3 and 7. He is always playing pranks and can only be kept in line by his brother 7.
    7 appears to bee dark and gloomy. He is approximately eighteen or nineteen, mute, but intimidating. He only has one facial expression which is often enough to discourage the antics of all but 0. Though he seems dark he is really just antisocial and too shy to talk. He secretly has a crush on 4 but doesn’t act on it.
    8 is approximately thirty and is 3's boss. He is cruel and greedy and often those under him suffer for it.
    9 is lets say a priest of sorts. He is the only one that can understand, to some extent, the higher power. He is approximately twenty and always tries to warn the others of when 0 starts acting up.
    0 is very much an unknown. He seems to have a sort of power. He never speaks and no one can tell his age. He seems to act without warning or pattern, and uses his abilities to both create and destroy. 9 seems to be able to see some pattern in his actions and can sometimes warn the others before things go bad.

  • Keith
    Keith
    5 Jun '11

    whoa, I didn't know that thinking that way had a name. numbers have genders to me but not really personalities. 0, 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 are boys and 2, 5, 6 and 9 are girls.

  • Ian
    Ian
    9 Jun '11

    I seem to have synaesthesia in the form of musical notes taking on the characteristics of a colour...
    I never noticed it when I played saxophone, but when I took up guitar, say, E2 feels orange-like, and G-3 is a browny colour. I don't really know why, but it makes playing and listening more interesting.
    Anyway, I'd just like to say, a friend linked me to this just today, and I've spent hours looking at it, it's adorable. Thanks for your effort :3

  • Meilos
    Meilos
    28 Jun '11

    I know this is a really late comment~ But I have synesthesia too! Just not that kind. I have motion-sound synesthesia, so every time I see something move, I "hear" or interpret it as a sound. It's very faint. Even my eyes moving, every time they do, it's like a little "click" that's barely registered. Whenever I watch a bug, or move my pen, or watch my ceiling fan move, it's a faint whooshing or zooming sound. Things like that.

    It especially happens when I get touched with something. If I tap my fingers to my thumb, or drum them on my leg or whatever, it's very loud in my head.

    I also have grapheme-color synesthesia. Months, and very faintly, days, inherently have colors. January is white, February is pink, March is green, etcetc.

    I get faint ideas about the personalities of numbers, but nothing as concrete as this. 7's a nerd, though. ^^;;

  • OchiBanana
    OchiBanana
    16 Jul '11

    Omigosh, I've done that ever since I was little. Odd numbers tend to be male for me, while the evens were female. Each of them had their own personalities. I had trouble counting when I was little, and then with multiplication after that. I wonder if this has anything to do with it?

  • ShiningInShadows
    ShiningInShadows
    29 Jul '11

    Another late post... I just discovered Extra Ordinary and loving it (esp since it's basically the life of one of my closest friends minus the boyfriend), but I had to acknowledge this. I've heard of synesthesia but only related to colors, and while I've never heard of other types it gave me a reason to look into this and other forms, and I never realized there's a form of synesthesia called number form which I think relates to the way I interpret numbers in geometric relationships. CRAZY!

    Thanks for this, educational and entertaining, should be put into schools world wide!

  • Elizabeth GIbson
    Elizabeth GIbson
    7 Aug '11

    I had no idea what it was called but I have the same thing
    1. Is an intelligent mother of 2,3 and 4. Once had a fluke with 5 and had 4.
    2. Is a caring and couragous brother that fights for attention frrom 3 and protects 4 with all his power.
    3. Is evil and is always trying to marry off 4 to aristocratic 7, the middle child and always fighting for the attention of mom.
    4. Is a nice and caring young women, and she is the older much more mature sister of 3 and 2 is madly in love with 6 and fighting with her father(5) about who she is to marry beacuse he wants her to marry 7
    5. Is a money grabbing

  • monica
    monica
    8 Aug '11

    i dont know that mine is called, but touch and sounds have colors and shapes.

  • Benjamin
    Benjamin
    10 Aug '11

    you should do more like this! :D tell us what all the numbers mean to you! :D

  • Aquacoon
    Aquacoon
    18 Aug '11

    I've always thought of 9 as a domineering person, who forces things on other people because it's what's best for them, even if it's hard. Probably because multiples of 9 makes the number smaller and then pairs it off with another number. like 4x9=36 is like making 4 into 3, and then pairing it off with 6. Also with addition. 9+4=13, but it's kind of like you take 1 away from 4 and then add it to 9. It seems kind of mean because 9 just stole a piece of four to make itself ten. >:C such a meanie.

  • aquacoon
    aquacoon
    18 Aug '11

    Also nine works on a pretty regular quirk, so it's kind of like 9 always gets his way no matter what.

  • Penguin
    Penguin
    19 Aug '11

    Woah, had to Google a bit to check if you are just kidding.

  • Jelly-being
    Jelly-being
    8 Sep '11

    Ohmygosh! I think the same about numbers and letters! They have different personalities, but it's the same idea. =O I am not alone in the world!

  • Kelly
    Kelly
    20 Sep '11

    I do this also, but 9. 9 worries me. 9 is a serial killer; he's already taken out 6, b, d, p, and q and just disguises himself to take their place, even though 6 is feminine. It's easier because the letters are all the masculine.

    2 is a hook 9 uses to murder people. 3 is 9's little minion, and a cowardly bully. 5 won't ever succumb to 9 because he has a sword and a shield and is just generally a very militant number. And 1 is safe because it's like Buddha. Super zen and always the same. 8 is really God in disguise, because when it turns sideways it's infinity. 0 is just a shell, not really anything at all. If it was a person, it'd be a mannequin.

    I also have the impression that 7 is secretly just a really weird looking fish trying to pass for a number and hoping no one else notices.

  • Alex Holmstock
    Alex Holmstock
    23 Sep '11

    I'm like this...COOL!

  • Mollyboy
    Mollyboy
    24 Sep '11

    I don't have this awesomeness as a synesthesia but to me, 7 has always been a sneaky bastard.

  • Cris
    Cris
    26 Sep '11

    Wow, I've always wanted to know how any synesthesia feels like... it surely is awesome to see the world with diferent eyes than normal :D

  • Mari
    Mari
    10 Oct '11

    I, like Arthur only have 1-9, and they aren't very specified, but as a rule, the even ones are girls.

  • Trobby
    Trobby
    10 Nov '11

    Awww. :( I feel so sorry for 3. He looks so lonely.

  • James Stan
    James Stan
    22 Nov '11

    umm... its really wierd... because i have always viewed the first 10 numbers in the same gender since... grade school... so, like, 15 years

  • Aki
    Aki
    1 Dec '11

    I'm like that too since i was a little kid i felt like numbers have personalities...
    it's a nice idea to draw them...here are mine:
    1 is a little boy he's clumsy and shy he's friends with 2
    2 is a little girl a bit older than 1 she nice and cares about people
    3 is a boy friends with 2 and knows 1 from 2 he's serious and doesn't act a child
    he doesn't like playign with 1 and 2 cuz they are yuonger than him
    4 is a teenage girl she's cheerful she's 8 girlfriend
    5 is 4 friend he'a a teenage boy he can be mean to people
    6 she's in her last teens had crash on 8
    7 is 6 friend same age as her she's nice and smart she often comfort 8
    8 is a young guy he's samrt and gentle he likes 4 and is friends with 7 and 6
    9 is a young woman married to 10 she likes kids and cares often about 1 and 2
    10 is 9 husben he works a lot but cares about his wife

  • AntiLuke
    AntiLuke
    10 Dec '11

    I do this with musical notes, so when I read sheet music I actually see a story based on how the notes are arranged.

  • Ty
    Ty
    7 Jan '12

    wow. I used to do this when i was younger except i would associate numbers with colors. ex. 3 always made me think of purple and 2 a light brown. i would avoid using certain numbers if i did not like their color. i don't do this anymore though :(

  • Leaa
    Leaa
    8 Jan '12

    I ran across your comic by accident and I love it all! Super cute! But I just had to leave a comment on this particular one because I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who does this I've always associated personalities with numbers and my friends always thought it was sooo weird. But thank you so much for informing me that I'm still a bit weird but at least not alone!

    And just fyi here are my number personalities:

    1 = is the mother of 2 and is sort of a working mom and doesn't have too much time for her son.
    2= is the trouble maker of the bunch always up no good. Sort of trying to get attention from his mom.
    3= is 2's cousin and they are best friends. He's a very good kid but two is always dragging him into trouble.
    4= Is the mother of 3 and 5. Very doting mother who only wants her children to be happy.
    5= (my favorite number) She's very nice and kind and smart. Sweet tempered and doesn't like confrontation. She has a relationship with 6
    6= is the like great catch among the numbers. He is handsome, nice and smart. Great guy six.
    7= She is also in love with 6 and is constantly trying to break them up. I really dislike seven.
    8= is 7's brother and also in love with 5. But he's also very nice and understands that 5 and 6 belong together so he stands back.
    9= Is the oldest brother of 7 and 8. Very strict and very business like he takes care of his siblings.
    10= Is their old grandfather who is like the jolly old man of the family.

    Hahaha. And I used to think I was insane. But I'm so glad to know i'm not alone.

  • Logic
    Logic
    16 Jan '12

    Gaz - you just blew my mind.

    I have always envisioned the months of the year as an oval racetrack, similar to a NASCAR one. Winter and Summer are the straightaways, while Spring and Fall are the curved sections on either end. Time moves along this track in a clockwise direction. January 1st is halfway through the Winter straight, and is like the START/FINISH line. My birthday, which is March 8th, is right around Turn 1, to the right of January 1st (if using a clock-face analogy, it would be somewhere around 1:30). My position as the observer varies with whatever the current date is, but can also often be on the "back straight" (which is summer), somewhere around the July/August boundary. So then my birthday would be to my right, on the opposite side of the oval. Right now it is January 15, so I can picture myself on the "front straight", headed toward Turn 1, if I concentrate.

    Holy cow, I seriously always thought I was the only one that had this circular association with the months/seasons. It is amazing to find out that someone else has a similar thing going on.

    Mind. Blown.

  • Barbara
    Barbara
    18 Jan '12

    No way, I couldve sworn this was normal until now.
    This reminds me of a picture I drew when I was around five of a party which all the numbers attended, each one doing something different :D
    Funny thing though, mine go from 0-9, wonder if that means anything

  • bainidhe
    bainidhe
    24 Feb '12

    I think 5 is kind of mean, because he makes everything else end with 0 or 5 when they're multiplied together.

  • Misty
    Misty
    19 Mar '12

    Hello.I also have synesthesia,but mine is personalities associated with weekdays.I didn't realise it was abnormal until now.I would be interested in finding out how you discovered this.

  • Belinda
    Belinda
    11 Apr '12

    WHOA! I didn't know that there was a name for that until now... ( 'o' ) I do something like that also, but I also do it with letters. No colors for me, though. But my number people are different, like 1 is a boy, 2 is a girl, and I'm not too sure about 7, but I think it's a monster (not because of 7-8-9). 10 is like a happy, friendly sports team captain type person, and a guy.

  • Jarred
    Jarred
    14 Apr '12

    OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THIS AS WELL?

  • Pamela
    Pamela
    5 May '12

    What a great thread! I saw the numbers 1-9, probably until I was in high school, when no one I knew did that. 4 is a skinny woman, 3 a round man...and always on a black background.

  • Nekoko
    Nekoko
    17 May '12

    I have that~ (THough I wouldn't say it's a disorder, like my sister does...) it's really fun~

    1. is a boy, about 5 years old, and he always has a lolipop and he thinks he knows everything (as little kids do), he has brown hair.

    2. is 1's childhood friend, who is also 5, she carries a teddybear around and has cute, short blond pigtails, she's kind of shy, but opens up to you once she gets to know you, and she's really sweet.

    3. is 1's older brother, who is usually kind of arrogant, and pushy, but he's really nice, once he knows you better, and is the overly protective of his loved ones type, he's blonde.

    4. is 2's older sister,she likes 3, but she is too shy to say anything. She's more open then her sister, and quite an artist, she has long black hair that covers one eye.

    5. is 3's best friend, and an awesome guy, who's popular and nice and sweet. He's in a relationship with 6. He has rustled brown hair.

    6. Is a sweet girl who is awesome with kids, and babysits 1 and 2. She really is afraid of seven (I guess that's cause of 'cause 7 8 9', but it's actually cause he's a jerk..) she has longish brown hair and usually wears a bow.

    7. is a jerk (as I mentioned earlier) and a prankster and no one really likes him... but he's in love with 6. Although he has a rotten way of showing it.. he has his hair in a baseball cap (thinkin he's all gangsta) but what you can see of his hair is dyed dark red

    8. is 1 and 3's mom, she's really kind and pretty, and well-liked. she has brown hair in a ponytail.

    9. is 1 and 3's dad, who is mean and embarrassing... sorta like my dad XD he has graying black hair.

    10. is 2 and 4's mom. she is a single mom, and acts like your version of 4, although she tries to be cool... she has black hair dyed with pinks.

  • Lia
    Lia
    29 May '12

    I do the same thing! Numbers to me are inherently self-centered and enjoy being in their square or their times ten form.
    Everyone likes one, 'cause he's a cool dude who gets along with everyone, including nine.
    Two is in love with one, and is quite girly. Flowers and pink are her deal.
    Three is a fat man with a beard. Generally well-liked, but likes to hang by himself most of the time.
    Four is best friends with six, and is a guy. Blue is his favorite color and he's got a goatee.
    Five is well-meaning and motherly, but all the numbers are irritated when multiplied by her, particularly four and six. She doesn't understand why six in particular hates her so much, and has a major crush on four.
    Six is a motorcycle dude who generally likes to be on his own, but will go out of his way to chill with four and three. He's also the only guy who can tolerate nine, and sometimes joins in on nine's actions.
    Seven is mischievous, but will repent for his mistakes if it becomes serious. He really likes yellow.
    Eight is a robust black woman who wears purple suits. She has a very irritating personality, but is generally well-liked. She likes six and tries to hang out with him, but he doesn't cooperate. She hates the fact that nine is always next to her.
    Nine is evil. He enjoys watching others as they struggle to get to their times ten, which is the ultimate goal. He hates being in square form, because he is forced to have a taste of his own medicine. He only listens to six, who is able to calm him down. Six becomes angry at nine only when they multiply, as six sees that as betrayal.
    Ten is God in the number world.
    And no, nine is not the devil. He's just a guy who makes lots of mistakes. All he wants is someone to understand him, but is just too inherently nasty to attach to anyone. Six sometimes gets him, but then nine messes it up by multiplying to 54.
    Yup!

  • Kiara
    Kiara
    11 Jun '12

    But 7 8 9! D:

  • Alixx
    Alixx
    26 Jul '12

    Hi Li!

    This is fascinating and adorable! I have synesthesia too, but it's mainly with colors and emotions. When I was younger, everything had a personality, so some things couldn't go with others because they didn't get along. Nobody understood. I would always struggle with math in school because no matter how many times they tell me 8 + 2 is 10, blue plus purple will never make white.

    It's sort of cool having any form of synesthesia as an artist, though, since it's not really debilitating at all, but can instead fuel some neat pieces, like this one you've drawn. How cool!

  • Amy
    Amy
    28 Jul '12

    :o I do this too, I have since... I learned numbers. We had to make a poem one time about numbers, and I did their personalities. I'm not alooooone. :DDDD

  • Petre Pan
    Petre Pan
    1 Aug '12

    Haha! I totally had that when I was little when it came to addition and subtraction. I always saw the forces of addition and multiplication as good, trying to overcome the forces of subtraction and division.

  • Donnie
    Donnie
    26 Aug '12

    I'm not the only person who does this?

  • Arcyne
    Arcyne
    8 Nov '12

    I feel that way about numbers too ._.

  • JohnB
    JohnB
    12 Nov '12

    I am both 3 and 6. :/

  • Kit
    Kit
    16 Nov '12

    Oh my god...I've been doing this since I was in Kindergarten. I had no idea it was a type of Synesthesia!! Everyone just told me I was weird or crazy! Yay for not being alone and having a name for it :)

  • Johnnie Lucille
    Johnnie Lucille
    6 Jan '13

    Wow! That explains a lot! I do the same thing, though mine are different, of course. I actually personify colors too. I wonder if that's the same or something slightly different.

  • jo
    jo
    27 Feb '13

    oooh that's really neat. LOVE it.

  • Alex
    Alex
    28 Feb '13

    That's amazing, me and my girlfriend have been reading your comic today (a friend introduced us to it), commenting on how we are similar to you and Jordan. She just had a little freak out because she has the same kind of Synethesia as you, along with a couple of other types. Coincidence, it's a silly thing.

  • I commented
    I commented
    28 Mar '13

    I read a book about this sort of thing. I do not have it but to me 8 would seem like the bossy type

  • Vivienne
    Vivienne
    2 Apr '13

    I have this too and also spatial sequence and weekday-color. I also thought it was normal until a few months ago and have only ever told 2 of my friends, one of whom has it also. But my genders, personalities, and friendships between them are WAY different than this. Nice to know I am ( mostly) not crazy.

  • Ze
    Ze
    17 Aug '13

    I do this too! I didn't know this was considered a type of synetheisia!

  • Meghan
    Meghan
    25 Oct '13

    I recall a movie/show mentioning how someone had tried to help someone with math because they were struggling with it. He found out that she had assigned each number a personality and that when she did sums, there was much social conflict and made it hard for her to put the numbers together. I can't for the life of me remember where I heard that from. At the time I thought it was merely a joke, but now I see that there really are people who think this way :)

  • Marcie
    Marcie
    19 Jan '14

    Wow Li :o were the same! i just realized right now that i also have Ordinal Linguistic Personification, i always imagine numbers and letters as people, i thought i was the only one who actually does that, im glad im not alone ^u^

  • François
    François
    22 Apr '14

    What about zero?

  • Carley
    Carley
    2 Oct '14

    I have synesthesia too! I actually have a blog from that perspective, which is currently located at thecolorofnormal.wordpress.com but that will soon be changing to thecolorofnormal.net. I associate emotions and experiences with color - making raves REALLY exciting. I thought this was completely normal, too, until I was talking to someone about it and they were like, "Woah you have synesthesia that's awesome!" And then I went to figure out what it is. I think it's quite a gift, and I'm glad to see I'm not alone! :D

  • Chloe
    Chloe
    26 Apr '15

    Amazing!!! I have this too. But my numbers are much different. Odd numbers are boys and even numbers are girls. Except for 8 and 9. 8 is a boy and 9 is a girl. 1 is an introvert and reads instead of playing like other little boys. 2 and 3 are brother and sister and best friends. They play ball and are the same age as 1. 3 has a crush on 4. 4 is in love with 8 and 8 secretly loves 4 but is stuck in a relationship with his controlling girl friend, 16. 4 and 5 are brother and sister. 5 is jock fell in love with his best friend's sister. He fell in love with 6 and her brother is 7. 5 is constantly trying to prove to 7 that his love for 6 is real. 9 is in charge. She knows everything and she is smart. 7 wants to date her and is practically her slave.

  • Nupa
    Nupa
    8 May '15

    I'm a mathematician, and I always suspected my numbers of having personalities, but I never got to know them like this. I do think of even numbers as "more feminine" and prime numbers as a sort of elite class with a lot of muscle, I guess. The "small numbers" from 0 to about 20 are my friends, if I start seeing anyone else in a formula I know it's gonna be a bad day.

  • Maya
    Maya
    4 Mar '16

    Hi! I'm a twelve-year-old girl and I have synesthesia as well! I actually have several different types: letters and numbers/colors (A is fire-engine red, for instance), music/colors (that's the strongest one - the key of E major is moss green, for instance), and numbers/personalities. My numbers' personalities and colors are as follows, in case you were interested: 1 is royal blue. He's very haughty and thinks he knows everything. He gets on the other numbers' nerves quite a lot. 2 is red, and she's kind of insecure and anxious about herself. She's the kind of person who can barely order a coffee without getting self-conscious. 3 is green, and he's friendly to everyone. 4 is brownish, and he's bossy - the kind of person who would make poor 2 cower in fear. 5 is pale yellow, and he's one of those people (or numbers) who is naturally curious about the world around them. He is always questioning and trying to find out the answers, and he's also friendly (though not as amiable as 3). And for some reason, my personalities taper off after 5 -- my number/personality synesthesia is my weakest. But I still have colors -- 6 is orangish, a little bit lighter than 4; 7 is a vibrant lavender, if that makes sense; 8 is sky blue; 9 is dark purple; and 10 is a little bit of a lighter red than 1 (because 0 is white, so it makes it lighter). I'm so glad to meet another synesthete! Thanks so much for posting!