Do men and women really differ that much?

An age old question which many people ask. Why is it that we think men and women differ that much? Are we really that different?

Let's go back to when you were still in the womb. I know...that's a looooong time ago. A growing fetus doesn't even have defined genitals until in a later stage. Men and women start at the same point. The Y and X in our chromosomes determine how our organs are going to grow, including that one. So actually...we all started from the same point. We were all the same, men and women.

Of course, after some time we start to differ from each other in growth, as we all know.
OK, but how about now?

If we look at emotions, women and men are different. This is because we tend to differ in what emotions we feel and when, but the most important difference is how we let the world know how we feel.
This has a lot to do with culture and common morals of how men and women should react to certain situations. Add to that personal feelings and you could say everyone would have different emotional reactions. I wouldn't say it's definitely to blame on being male or female.

Then there's also behaviour. This is also largely inherited from cultural differences, common morals and of course your own environment. I don't believe behaviour is that much reliant on whether you're female or male, but much more on who you are as a person.

Lastly we also have bodies. Of course we differ! (Yeah duh...) But I guess this stems from evolution. We are supposed to differ, because of what we do in life. Women have to give birth according to nature, so we have to have fat around our butts and big breasts to feed the children, so naturally this transforms us into the oh so known sand figure shape. Yeah, not alot of us look exactly like that, but you get my point.
And men are supposed to be strong to fight off whatever evil is going to harm their children and to bring food to the table by killing animals (LOL, old school pre BC. cavemen&women). Yes...our body shapes are still a remnant of old times, when we used to do nothing more than survive and produce offspring.

So yeah...we do differ alot...but then you have to wonder...is it bad?
I think it is actually a good thing that we differ alot. Why? Because our differences, combined, are strong. We're like Yin and Yang, we support each others weaknesses with our strong points.

I mean look at these examples:
Women talk alot, men are quiet (OK not all of them, but most of them).
 Women are sensitive and might cry or be frightened more often, men will provide the shoulder to find comfort.
Women are tactical, but might take a long time, men are straightforward, but fast.

OK I'm generalizing a bit here, but you get my point. We help each others weakness with our own strength.
Isn't that just wonderful? I think it is.

What do you think? With what do men and women differ? Do you have your own Yin & Yang? Leave a comment and share it!

S.P. van der Lee

Quirks, what are they for?

Today I found myself constantly watching people’s behaviour. I get annoyed quickly by the repetitive nature of their quirks.

Is it weird to find weird things weird? Yea…good question.

Like the other day when we were having lunch, some people were talking with each other, like we people normally do. This guy had a plate with a fork and a knife on it and he was talking with someone next to him. Suddenly I notice he just starts rearranging his fork and knife on the plate, then he continues the conversation as if nothing ever happens.

Why did he do that? What’s it for? What use does it have to pick something up and place it down two inches further?

Quirks are strange. So many questions and possible answers come to mind when thinking this through. Although, come to think of it, why am I even trying to uncover the truth behind something that silly? I guess it’s human nature; the curiosity of it all.

Some people like tea. Half of them want the tea to soak for some time, the other half just want you to carefully dip it in the water. What’s with this difference? So many different kind of ways to make tea and I really don’t understand why people make a fuss about it.

Or that common quirk where someone has to stir a specific amount of time in their cup before they think it’s perfect to drink, or when someone has to peel the bread off their bread before eating it…what’s the use? Why do they do it?

People have such strange habits. Though looking at it and wondering about it does give you some insight into humans. We all have our own quirks so I guess it’s OK to be strange.

S.P. van der Lee