Your pie
Last night at dinner, my husband and I were once again discussing the concept of the pie chart that is men’s and women’s brains. I saw a cartoon several years ago that depicted women’s brains as a pie chart primarily taken up by thinking about the Relationship, whereas men’s were split between thinking about sports and their hair (both losing it on top and growing it in odd places otherwise).
My husband actually read some study not long ago about how women’s brains have larger language centers than men’s do, which explains, supposedly, why women are better not only at small talk, but also at nurturing their relationships in general. Those of us who are of the female type know very well how easy it is to hold phone conversations lasting for hours, because not only must everything everyone says and does be analyzed, but then it must be gone over at least two more times. Because it is in the talking about it that we find relief and understanding and also entertainment. I guess men just go hunting or work in the shop.
But I also have several male friends who can talk just as long and in as close of detail as my female friends, so does that mean the study is wrong? Or is it that those guys have a little less room in their pies devoted to sports trivia and hair fears?
“That’s not in my pie” has become my husband’s and my shorthand for things we don’t naturally understand or keep track of. My pie is mainly composed of arts and entertainment information (including celebrity pairings, names of actors and titles of movies, and all sorts of random book trivia), whereas his field is navigation (”Remember when we were on this two-foot stretch of trail back in ‘93? That tree that was here is gone.”), history, and politics. We’re a great combo at parties and on backpacking trips. You never know when you might be lost and also need to remember who directed Broadcast News at the same time.
(Don’t know why I’m thinking of this, but here’s a hint about how the Mr.’s brain works. We were playing that group word game “Taboo,” where you have to get your team to identify a word using definitions that don’t involve certain taboo words listed on your game card. So here we are at a family gathering, teenagers and adults playing the game, and the first part of the clue my husband gives us is “man juice,” and the second part is “cetacean.” And I’m sorry, but if your brain is the kind that gets “man juice” right away, it might not have any idea what “cetacean” means. And that’s where we were all stumped. He kept shouting, “Cetacean! Cetacean!” as if volume were the problem. Extra points if you know what the word was supposed to be.)
So, my friends, if we divided your various brains into pie charts, what would your major categories be?
Technorati Tags: Women’s Brains, Men’s Brains, Brain Pie Chart, Party Games
December 18th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Cetacean-is that a whale? I could cheat and look it up.
Male vs female brain is one thing, but I was think it is partly inheritance or the way we are wired. I can chat about people & their actions for hours with one of my daughters, but the other one does not have the chatting gene. She is more like her father who talks but doesn’t chat.(By the way isn’t it interesting to see what characteristics you inherit from which parent. My daughters are such a crazy combination of both of us.) Have a great day,
December 18th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Readerdiane, you’re correct about the whale. Now put it together with the other clue (man juice) to get full points.
That’s interesting about your daughters. Scientists still have work to do on this issue, I see.
December 18th, 2006 at 8:52 am
[note: I've moved this over from the earlier, weirder, post so you can see--rb]
okay, this has nothing to do with what ever catagory “this” is. i know, it’s (supposedly) not my blog (anyone heard from eisha lately?) anyhow just want to report x-mas shopping done. how, you ask?–easy says i. i went to my local independent bookseller for my local gift given and to amazon for the foreigners (out of staters). imagine the swellness that is me to include gift cards that said, “my dear friend barry is the author..” and “diana is a yalie and like an almost daughter-in-law to me”. so heads up d. and b., if you get any (and i suspicion you will)
e-mails or blog-ons, i am “that” annette and i also go by the alias of “toni”. so remember, “you couldn’t have done it without me.” hope you both have a fabulous x-mas run!!!!
December 18th, 2006 at 8:55 am
Annette, what a great idea! (Pretending you’re Barry and Diana’s friend, I mean.) Seriously, I’m sure they appreciate it.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Just finished a book titled “The time traveler’s wife” by Audrey Niffenegger. I think in part that the idea of different wiring for the genders is part of this book. There are books I finish that I say yeah I get this. This book I read and it was very sad, well written, somewhere in the back of my brain I’m still gnawing on it. By the way this is not sci-fi in the usual sense.
I think that your husband solution was perfect for Sperm Whale.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:49 am
Correct, Herb, very good! I keep meaning to read The Time Traveler’s Wife. Glad to hear you bring it up. Since I’m going to try Diana’s thing of reading a book a week next year, maybe I’ll finally get to it.
December 18th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
i’m mostly coconut cream–maybe it’s a girl thing.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
No, I’m coconut cream as well. Although, a traditional warmed apple pie with ice cream is acceptable. These can be trumped by strawberry cheesecake if necessary.
And Robin, why would you even need “Cetacean”? Seriously! How many two word expressions can be made from “Man-juice” (Which I commend your husband for not yelling “spooge!”)
I’m at 3.
Sperm Whale
Sperm Donor
Cement Mixer
And your choice of descriptive words would have been???
December 19th, 2006 at 6:42 am
Patrick, obviously you are a member of Mensa.
December 19th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Nah, the $40 annual membership isn’t worth it.
December 19th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
I knew it was sperm whale, but that’s not interesting anymore, since other people beat me to it. The interesting part is that the reason I knew it was sperm whale is that Star Trek Four is set at the “Cetacean Institute” or somesuch, and I’m a big fat dork, who may someday learn to love Ben Stiller and thereby be eligible for marriage into Annette’s family.
(In passing, Annette: THANK YOU)
Though it’s possible it was Moby-Dick, instead… right?
Perhaps I have been inspired to post a blog entry about my own favorite party game, which is named after two different sex acts, and doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with either of them.
December 19th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Ha! Never even thought of Moby-Dick.
December 23rd, 2006 at 10:03 pm
So, I had to look that word up online. Gee wiz, Mr., what books are you reading? And here can I get them? They sure would do wonders for me on the GRE.