Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Caution: Toys You Play With May Alter Your Life Forever....

So I was having lunch yesterday with a friend who was showing me the plans for the new house he and his wife are building.  It is going to be a very cool house...one story ranch with full finished basement.  The property is awesome and the house is going to be sweet!

But he was relating how difficult it has been at times for his wife to visualize how things will look.  As we talked, it dawned upon me a notion that I had latently thought about but never fully expressed: that men tend to think better spatially because of the toys they play with as children.

Seriously...I played for countless hours in our "dad-made" sandbox with my matchbox cars and Tonka toys.  I developed some serious transportation systems in that sand and in the piles of dirt around our home addition in the early '70's.  I built untold numbers of homes from Lincoln Logs and the set of "Bricks" we had...a precursor to Legos.  And I believe those years of looking down on my imaginary world, literally looking down, taught me to think about things from a bird's perspective.  I believe it allows me to visualize things and imagine things from an aerial perspective better than children who played with dolls (read: GIRLS!).

For what it's worth, that is the unveiling of my long-held view.  Now bring on those sexist retorts!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am sorry but I disagree. I think it is a right brain/left brain thing. AND some females "get it"

Brett Probert said...

True some get it. I guess my point is that the toys we play with help us to think spatially.

Christine Knull said...

I somewhat agree, I played with cars and tinker toys and dolls. I have a great ability to visualize from a blueprint. I also have a husband who is a builder and my dad built a lot, that may contribute to that ability also.

Jenn said...

I always played with "boys' toys" growing up. I love building things. Yet, I am still very spatially challenged. How does your theory hold up there?

Brett Probert said...

Jenn...it doesn't! How's that for defending a theory?

Christine's comments may help to explain it.

I guess I'm speaking of my own unique experience.

Anonymous said...

Wow...maybe you are right. I can't visualize our house or a ton of things for that matter but I can calm a crying baby in a heartbeat. Women have that natural mommy touch too.....did I play with too many dolls???

gail kynett said...

I played for hours in a sandbox, built with Lincoln logs and those same 'bricks', and to this day I cannot visualize even how the furniture will look in a different arrangement unless we both put our backs out moving it. It is definitely in the way the brain is wired!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Brett, I am tired of looking at the chubby kid hand and that antique truck. Can you do something about it?