As baby boomer women, we’ve overcome our share of life’s challenges—and many of our more formidable confrontations came about by way of our relationships with men. We survived the great gender wars of the ‘70s and went on to find our place in the boardrooms of commerce as well as the halls of Congress. We learned to stand up to male bosses and coworkers and speak our minds with clarity and conviction. And we also changed the rules on the home front, making the division of housework far more equitable than ever before.
But there’s one area that still causes its share of strife. Men can NEVER EVER seem to locate the most obvious of items and are constantly calling on us to find their socks, the remote, or the mayo in the fridge. That said, before you begin venting your frustrations, there’s something you should know… the fault lies not with their lack of effort, rather the roots of this diminished ability lie deep within their brains!
Studies have confirmed that men are generally more adept at spatial analysis and are better equipped at picturing objects in 3-D space than most women. But, before we start feeling all inadequate, Mother Nature does enjoy a good laugh—and there is a slight, albeit significant, twist to this 3-D, spatial capability.
When an object is confined within a small area, women are typically far more adept at identifying the item and determining its exact location. This ability likely enabled our foremothers to successfully forage for berries and nuts, while gifting our generation with the knack of quickly spotting the perfect little black dress hanging on the sales rack.
But rather than a cause for all out celebration in gratitude for this female strong suit, this particular talent proves a mixed blessing. Due to our remarkable aptitude, we lucky ladies have been predisposed to frequently and forever having to respond to our sons’ and husbands’ frustrated cries for help. Men, the masters of matter and manipulation, can never, ever seem to find two matching socks, discover where they left the DVD remote, or locate the mayo in the fridge.
So as feisty as we may be—the ironic truth is that we’re destined to remain foragers. I guess in the great “nature vs. nurture” debate, Mother Nature really does get the last laugh!