I voted for scalars since they are analogous to symbols which I think would be more accurate. However, the poll is flawed in breaking these cognitive exercises into mututally exclusive silos. (Perhaps it would be better as '..I usually think of numbers as...') When I think of numbers I think of symbols in relationship to each other which is sort've like positions, or beans, or the positions of beans. The symbols, like any given point in space - are meaningless without relationships to each other. But a symbol can be anything. That's what makes them so powerful & useful. Math with numbers is for computers - it's boring. Math with symbols is exciting because they represent ..ahem.. basic building block of thought.
Though I must comment that like merlyn I memorize long numbers more by their rhythmic pattern and touchtone 'melody' than by anything else. I find that when I'm trying to remember a number I have to tap it into the keypad in the same rhythm to get it right. ATM codes, etc. are shorter so they don't suffer from that. (yet) It was interesting (to me) to hear I'm not the only one who does that - though perhaps not to the same degree.
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