Think of POSITIVE numbers as the amount you are TO THE GOOD,
Think of NEGATIVE numbers as the amount you are IN THE HOLE.
[Think of zero as that you have BROKEN EVEN.]
The BETTER OFF you'd be if you had a certain amount, the GREATER the number.
The WORSE OFF you'd be if you had a certain amount, the LESS the number.
-4 means you are 4 IN THE HOLE.
-10 means you are 10 IN THE HOLE.
You're BETTER OFF to be 4 IN THE HOLE than to be 10 IN THE HOLE. So
-4 is GREATER than -10.
You're WORSE OFF to be 10 IN THE HOLE than to be 4 IN THE HOLE. So
-10 is LESS than -4.
I hope this trick helps you with your thinking about how positive and negative
numbers work.
Edwin