Nice descriptions.

I am reminded of the Pirahã people, a Brazilian tribe that only counts to 3.

With 1, they do not declare a single unit, complete onto itself (him- or herself). Rather, it is kind of one.

With 2, duality or pairing is expressed, male/female, young/old, and this is more like our idea of duality, of pairs.

With 3, the plurality is declared. All, everything, the whole, the group, the situation. They don't have any other numbers.

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I am also reminded of the pyramid, which is five outcomes based on 1 x 1 (=1) plus 2 x 2 (=4).

Both unity and duality are expressed in most optimum form with the pyramid. Yet the four aspects (for instance, male, female, young, and old) are found at the bottom, solidly on the ground. The single aspect, representing unity is found up above, slowly established by climbing up until one reaches the single top.

The word pyramid has been said to translate into "One that comes forth from height." I recognize the word 'prime' in pyramid.

Yet the point is that there is no one who is complete per the various options found with the four corners of the pyramid. There is no person, never was, never will, who is male, female, young, and old at the same time. As such, the 1 is the abstraction of the collective that is true but not embodied in a single person.

Really like your article. Thank you for writing it.