[hill79]

I don't know if this is common, but I visualise numbers on a line which makes it amazingly easy to use the 'arrows' metaphor

  <  > 

1 2 3 4 5

[dasil003]

That seems ambiguous to me in several ways. There must be more semantics you are subconsciously depending on to clarify it.

[masukomi]

I think he means that he visualizes the pair "< >" relative to a line of numbers. Similar to how he placed it above a line of numbers in his ASCII art. < points down (left) the row of numbers to numbers that are less than the other ones and > points up (right) to numbers that are greater than. Makes perfect sense if you are a visual thinker.

[hill79]

Exactly this - thanks for clarifying my explanation