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I have recently been thinking why is it that after having 2 children and also working most of the time I simply feel exhausted and tired. It is somehow as my brain and nervous system got saturated. The followings may not explain fully how I feel but may contribute to it.
Have you ever thought about how many details a feminine mind is regularly storing other than work or social activity related details, assuming she has an average family with children? Have you ever thought about that a mother can always answer the question where is the pink shoe of the Barbie her daughter got for her 4th birthday? She may not admit though that she was tired of putting it back to its place and just threw it out at one of her cleaning fancies. Or, where is the right size screw to put a picture on the wall which is not stored in the toolbox because the box was not big enough for all the items accumulated over the years by her husband, given he forgets what he buys and regularly purchases new packs of screws when a specific fixing task arise. Or, where is that most important drawing of a Pokémon figure which her sun just scribbled on a paper about 4 weeks ago? Or, where are the socks of her husband which he used to play golf in when he was at college, although she did not even know him at the time?
Please consider that after moving house or rearranging the flat a mother is still able to answer all these questions with nearly 100% accuracy. And she is not only able to answer the question where, but also able to recite on what occasion what was given to who, who purchased what and where. Just ask her when a wineglass was bought and where. Not only she will be able to tell you, but she may even remember the approximate price. And if a kid goes to her to repair a long not used toy she will remember where she last saw the missing piece. She will also know exactly who they gave on the favourite dressing gown of her daughter which she suddenly spotted on an old family video.
This immense amount of information is all in the feminine mind. And this is not a static database but a complex data management system which feminine minds cope with next to bread earning or other social activities and obligations. Given that according to scientific results "you can retain about seven facts at any one time in short term memory, but over the long term your brain has to forget things to make room for new memories", no wonder that after 7 years of motherhood and work I feel an urging need to through out all items in our household.
Maybe it is that simple that I just have to release space to be able to continue with meaningful activities, for instance work. If you consider that "on average, the male brain (1,4kg) is slightly bigger than the female brain (1,26kg)," we cannot ignore the possibility that feminine minds are excessively efficient.
So please think about your wife's brain capacity before you next ask where is the article you cut out of the Economist 5 weeks ago and mentioned that it was very important. And children, maybe also look under the bookshelf before you ask your mother where is the library book which should have been returned to school a week ago. Let's just treat with respect the feminine mind!
Quotes: [Written by Dr Frans Hugo, MBChB, M.Med Psychiatry and Dr Linda Van Wyk, MBChB, M. Med (Psych) from the Panorama Memory Clinic, source www.health24.com/mind/Memory_and_cognition/1284-1297,17547.asp]
June 11, 2008
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Feminine minds indeed. While all you say is true, it rubs me up the wrong way. What about domestic partnership and equal responsibility? Did the feminist movement pass you by?
What irks me the most is the inability of certain men to take responsibility for, say the location of their own shoes, or the kid's painting or any other other aspect of a domestic partnership. Why is it so prevalent to see the wife is stressed out because of minutia and the husband is at the bar drinking with his buddies in what some call a post-feminist world? Take some responsibility, you know who you are |
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Sounds like a complete load of tosh too me. My experience is that the opposite sex (mother or otherwise) have difficulty in remembering where most things are. My childhood memories are full of "Mummy where's my ........" only to hear that fateful answer "I've put it away safe/tidy" and then wait until it reappeared during Mum's next "tidy up". Sorry but a slight case of feminine self promotion I feel. Motherhood is a hugely complex task I admit, but using this as a superior brain argument is shabby.
Father of 2 Husband of 1 Supporting a huge extended family (and I know where my socks are!!!) |
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Clearly you have not met my first wife...or second!?!?
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You are right in some ways, but most of my family members would ask me where is/are their socks, book and on... i dont mean i have Feminine minds, it's just complexity
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Zsuzsa, do you think some people/personalities have the capacity to retain minutiae better than others, irrespective of gender?
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"If you consider that �on average, the male brain (1,4kg) is slightly bigger than the female brain (1,26kg),� we cannot ignore the possibility that feminine minds are excessively efficient."
Is this an example of feminine logical reasoning? Of course you're right darling, it must be that your brain is working more efficiently. Now, where's my dinner. |
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