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Numbers are infinite. Letters aren’t. That is why there can only be so many names in the entire world. No matter how unique you think your name is, someone somewhere is bearing it. Even when you combine it with other names, there will be some others who bear the exact combination as well.

But with numbers, it’s a different ballgame altogether. Numbers don’t end, numbers lack the ability to end because they can go on and on until the end of the world. When you think of the biggest number you can, you add one and it becomes a new number. You subtract one, it becomes a new number. In the same way, when you think of the smallest number and either add or subtract one, you get a new number. On the positive side, the numbers stretch to infinity. And then, on the negative side, it stretches into infinity as well, going on to points where there are complex and compound numbers.

But all that is stuff for the classroom, and I’m not here to teach. I’m really just here to talk about how numbers, like, technology have slowly taken over our lives. To the governments, to the banks and big companies, even to computers, we’re not known by our names. We’re known by the numbers that are attached to us.

One single person is required to own a phone number, National Identification Number, Tax Identification Number, Bank Account Number, and the list goes on. Without having these numbers, there’s no way you can properly function in the society. Government agencies keep track of us through the numbers and they can always know what we’re up to.

And then, when we come online, we’re basically nothing but a bunch of ones and zeros. We’re identified by our IP addresses and the numbers suffixed to our names. Like, the only difference between John0 and John2345 is the numbers attached to them. And that’s what shows that they’re different people.

So then, what does this all mean for us? Are we slowly becoming nothing more than numbers? It’s beginning to look like all we are is nothing but a string of numbers clumped together to make meaning. These numbers control the amount of money we have, they control how we communicate with people, they control our citizenship… and the list goes on and on.

Of course, the mere idea of using numbers is a good thing. Because there is only so much we can do with letters, but with numbers, you can never run out and there will always be a new combination to give to someone. While it’s good and fine, I’m just scared that it’s what has affected us to the point where the world has come to this point. Because now, in the eyes of the powers that be, we’re nothing but numbers and statistics that are meant to produce a certain result once placed into a certain equation.

And if there is anything I know about numbers, is the fact that they’re cold and factual. You can't read any emotion from numbers, and if you don’t know what it represent, it will be nothing but a number to you. Meanwhile, with names it’s different. Names hold meaning, and the meaning of those names can tell you a bit about who the bearer is. Even a picture can tell you something about a person. But numbers are simply flat and empty. Which is why they’re so reliable.

There’s not really much I’m here to say. It just crossed my mind how heavily we’ve come to rely on numbers and how they guide basically everything we have to do. If numbers were to suddenly vanish from the world, the first order of the day would be chaos and that will be all we would know for the rest of our lives.

Numbers make life easy, numbers make life more organized and give us a sense of direction. And even though numbers are heartless and void of feelings, you can always trust numbers to be reliable and without confusion.

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

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_{N.B: All images used are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.}

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