Why is it that a negative number minus a negative number is positive?

When you subtract a negative number, it's equivalent to adding its positive counterpart. For example, if you have -3 and you subtract -2, it's like calculating -3 + 2. This operation shifts the value toward zero, resulting in a positive outcome if the positive number is greater than the absolute value of the negative number being subtracted. Thus, the subtraction of a negative effectively increases the total, leading to a positive result.