What is it with round numbers?

[ClichéGuevara]

A 21st birthday bucks the trend, but in general, why do we tend to make a fuss about the big five 0, six 0 etc? Why is that more significant than say 29 or 53?

I'm doing the daily wordle, and it's becoming more of a task than a pleasure, but I've still set myself a goal of doing 100 completed ones on the bounce before I stop, which seems silly even to me, as I'm normally quite good at just moving on when something stops being fun. It'll be almost a disappointment and also a relief if I fail before hand, yet the decision is mine to make at anytime I choose.

So, does anyone know if it's something built in to the inner psyche, or just some bizarre societal pressure I've suckered myself in to?

 

[Sharky]

Very true. The start of the next decade seems to represent something significant. I'm dreading my next milestone, but thankfully I'm still only sixty-twelve.

 

[Beebo]

It’s just our need to see patterns and order.
We count in base 10 so it make sense.
It would be interesting from an anthropology study to see if other cultures have the same needs.
How many on here would ride a bit longer to round up if their ride was 48miles or 98 miles?

 

[markemark]

It’s just our need to see patterns and order.
We count in base 10 so it make sense.
It would be interesting from an anthropology study to see if other cultures have the same needs.
How many on here would ride a bit longer to round up if their ride was 48miles or 98 miles?

Indeed. That was a great 99 mile bike ride…said no cyclist ever.

 

[T4tomo]

Indeed. That was a great 99 mile bike ride…said no cyclist ever.

Indeed, they would cycle round the block to get past 100.

 

[Alex321]

Indeed, they would cycle round the block to get past 100.

I did exactly that to get my first 50Km ride

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It’s just our need to see patterns and order.
We count in base 10 so it make sense.
It would be interesting from an anthropology study to see if other cultures have the same needs.
How many on here would ride a bit longer to round up if their ride was 48miles or 98 miles?

I definitely would.

 

[T4tomo]

My OH checks her Garmin as we get near home and will often command we need to do another 1 or 2 miles..... even just to get to 20 or 30 etc.

 

[newfhouse]

My daughter used to get twitchy if the TV volume wasn’t set to an even number or a multiple of five. Obviously I made a point of only ever changing it to a prime number. Tough love, I think it’s called.

 

[rikki]

My daughter used to get twitchy if the TV volume wasn’t set to an even number or a multiple of five. Obviously I made a point of only ever changing it to a prime number. Tough love, I think it’s called.

My stepdaughter had to have even numbers on radio dials so, while she was using my car, I made sure that I left it on a prime number.

 

[RoMeR]

It’s just our need to see patterns and order.
We count in base 10 so it make sense.
It would be interesting from an anthropology study to see if other cultures have the same needs.
How many on here would ride a bit longer to round up if their ride was 48miles or 98 miles?

I once finished a ride on Derby rail station and had covered 49.8 miles but not allowed to ride on the platform.,so I was peed off for a day or two.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Indeed. That was a great 99 mile bike ride…said no cyclist ever.

You say that but I take great pleasure in doing a ride of 99.8 or 99.9 miles, posting it in Strava, and waiting for the comments. Some do get a bit “Why didn’t you go round the block to round it up?”.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Indeed. That was a great 99 mile bike ride…said no cyclist ever.

But 88 has four 'round' numbers, so surely that's even better.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You say that but I take great pleasure in doing a ride of 99.8 or 99.9 miles, posting it in Strava, and waiting for the comments. Some do get a bit “Why didn’t you go round the block to round it up?”

You have a perverse sense of humour. 😁

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It's all about fingers and thumbs, surely?