Quadruple Impact
How the Number Four Shapes Our Lives
Alright, CenaCrew, buckle up! (I saw the eye roll okay?) We’re back on the numbers train, and this time we’re pulling into station number Four. That’s right—Four. The number of stability, symmetry, and the exact number of years I’ve spent telling myself I’d finally get serious about the gym. Spoiler alert: we’re looking at another Four before that dream sees the light of day. But hey, I did buy a walking pad! Not that it’s been getting much use, but let’s not dwell on my mis-four-tunes—see what I did there? No? Fine. Let’s get into it.
Four in Religion & Mythology: The Spiritual MVP
Across cultures and belief systems, Four has been flexing its mystical muscles for centuries. In Hinduism, we get the Four Vedas (ancient scriptures), Four Yugas (ages of the world), and Four Goals of Human Life (because apparently, just having one goal isn’t enough). Buddhism gives us the Four Noble Truths—spoiler: suffering is inevitable, but there’s a way out—and the Four Great Elements (earth, water, fire, and air).
Islam isn’t about to let Four go unnoticed, either. We’ve got the Four Archangels (Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, and Azrael) and the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Meanwhile, Judaism hits us with the Four Matriarchs of Israel (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah), the Four Cups of Wine in Passover (one for each promise God made to the Israelites), and Four Questions asked during the Seder.
Over in Taoism, the Four Symbols represent cosmic forces, and Greek mythology chimes in with the Four Winds, each with its own personality—Boreas is that cold gust that ruins your perfect hair day, while Zephyrus is your gentle, springtime breeze.
Norse mythology keeps the Four–Party going with the Four Stags of Yggdrasil (symbolizing nature’s elements) and the Four Dwarves holding up the sky—sounds exhausting if you ask me. And let’s not forget ancient Egypt’s Four Sons of Horus, protectors of internal organs in the afterlife. apparently, the afterlife is BYO-intestines. Talk about a full-time job.
Four in Science & Nature: The Universe is a Fan
If you thought Four was just a spiritual superstar, think again. Science and nature are obsessed with it. We’ve got Four Seasons (unless you live somewhere where winter lasts forever—looking at you, Canada), Four Cardinal Directions, and Four Classical Elements (earth, water, fire, air). Even the moon keeps it classy with Four Phases, and butterflies? They’ve got a Four–Stage glow-up from egg to full-fledged winged beauty.
On a microscopic level, Four is running the show. Our DNA is built on Four Bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine), and the universe itself plays by the rules of Four Fundamental Forces: gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. Even matter obeys the big Four—solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Basically, Four is the bouncer at the nightclub of reality, letting in only the most essential elements.
Four in Everyday Life: The Quiet Overachiever
You probably don’t even notice how often Four shows up in your daily routine, but trust me, it’s everywhere. Cars? Four Wheels. Tables and chairs? Four Legs—because let’s be real, three-legged furniture is just an accident waiting to happen. Playing cards? Four Suits. Money? Four Quarters in A Dollar. Even your hand is out here representing with Four Fingers and a lonely little thumb.
And then there’s the infamous Four-Leaf Clover, a rare gem promising good luck to those who find it (unless you live on the internet, where everyone and their dog seems to stumble upon one daily). But not everyone sees Four as lucky—China and Japan actively avoid it because the word for “Four” sounds eerily similar to “death.” This is why some buildings in those regions skip the Fourth Floor entirely, while in the West, Four symbolizes structure, wisdom, and—of course—the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Nothing says “significant number” quite like impending doom, right?
The Final Four
So, what have we learned today? Four is a rockstar. It holds up mythologies, religions, nature, science, and your kitchen table. It’s the backbone of reality, from your DNA to the changing of the seasons. It can be lucky, unlucky, foundational, destructive, and downright fascinating.
And me? I might just take this as a sign to finally use that walking pad. Or, you know, I’ll revisit that thought in another Four Years. Either way, the number Four is officially on my list of things I will never underestimate again. Stay tuned, CenaCrew—who knows what number we’ll break down next?
Until then, stay balanced, stay symmetrical, and for the love of stability, don’t sit on a three-legged chair.
