Many years ago, when my math teacher told me about imaginary numbers ("the square root of negative one" times "a real number") I was happy to see the new idea. He drew the complex plane for me. He used a dashed line for the imaginary axis, which seems appropriate. To me it felt like a world of possibilities was opening up.

Later, however, there was something that bothered me about it. I read that imaginary numbers are useful in solving some real-world problems, with practical applications in engineering. It took a long time to get used to that idea: that something "not real" ("imaginary") could be a valid number, similarly as "real numbers" or "natural numbers" (positive integers) are valid numbers; and moreover, that it could be useful when modeling the real world.

Finally today the thought came to me that any number has some similarities to a real thing in the world, and some differences from that thing. There is no need to feel uncomfortable about what is "real" or "not real" about numbers; just like everything else, they have similarities to, and differences from, other things. Also we can say that any number (even made-up fictional numbers like square roots of negative numbers) might have some useful relationship with something in the real world (such as when solving problems in the above-mentioned engineering applications). And, even the most "natural" of numbers, such as the number 6 or the number 7, are abstractions, not entirely identical to the things in the "real" world that they are describing.

Aside from numbers based on the square root of negative one, there's another kind of "unreal" or "imaginary" number that we learned about even earlier in school: negative numbers. To me, the positive rational numbers seem "real" and all other numbers seem to be useful fictions; that's just how _I_ feel about it. A negative number such as "negative 3" ("-3") cannot be visualized as easily as just "3". I can have 3 things to look at, but it's a little harder to imagine a negative 3 things to look at. But I can imagine that the level of water in a pool can be expressed as a positive number when it is above a certain level, and a negative number when it is below that level. So, "-3" has some relationship with reality, but it does not coincide with all reality in all ways. So it is with all numbers, even made-up numbers, and even the square root of a negative number.

Admittedly, this post is about numbers. And what those might be. I do not care much about the linguistics; semantics; syntax; or context of this matter. Suffice to say: numbers are important, because we DEPEND upon them. My response/remarks to/on this are in a different vein. To wit: the pandemic. Those we label conservatives, usually thought of as republicans, largely say (46%,or so), they will not receive a Covid vaccine. My assessment of this involves what I call primitivity. No explanation required. These folks also seem to reject science and progress. Remember primitivity. It is important.

An overwhelming majority of democrats say they will get the Covid vaccine. They represent, I think, a segregation which is disturbing. Some have an explanation for this. I don't. Some have reasons. What? Others offer excuses. Hmm. ...No, that don't get it either.

This began with your query about numbers. Those are meaningful. But they obtain that, only because of us. They have no meaning to anything else. Yet. Try harder...and so on...

Primitive or progressive. What do you choose? Think better...

Numbers make sensibility of those things we cannot, through other means, account for. Numbers mean something more than 1,2,3,4, and so on. If this is not true, nothing can be. Which further means truth, as an objective, is meaningless. Therefore, the issue is dead? Don't you hate conundrums?
Me too. But, then again, paradox and tautology are no better...

Numbers are what count. Not, the tobacco. Numbers are the way we keep track of persons, places and things. Other cultures and civilizations did this sometime after we learned to say yes, no, maybe and, get away from me, we had to reach some agreement about quantity. There could not have been equity or peace. Or anything else human, without the foregoing. Ideas of justice would have been unthibkable. This is not 'rocket science'. Not even internal combustion.. it as plain as the nose on your face. Let's not make it more. Let not overthink this . No point...

An abstract object created by the mind, independent of the mind, can be used to describe properties of things...