Jamieson, Doris

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42 MANUSCRIPTSMentality-Male Versus FemaleDoris JamiesonTHE MENTAL capability of one sex over the other is a subjectthat pror:lpts ~ven t!le n:eekest pe.rson to voice a definite opinion.Interest 111 this subject IS something that almost everyone shareswith .an equal amount of enthusiasm because everyone is uncon-sciously concerned as to the intelligence of his own sex., Although the male does not possess a higher intelligence quotientthan the female, he does enjoy a valuable quality that has nothing toclo with the ability to learn, but at the same time greatly assists hisacquisition of knowledge. His mind operates on two basic tracks,namely, work and women, or school and women in the instance ofthe younger man. He is not hindered with unrelated thoughts thatseem to creep into a woman's cranium. I-Ie is not terribly concernedabout what trousers to wear with a new shirt, nor is his mind clutteredwith speculation about what his neighbor thinks of his hat. Thebusiness of the moment absorbs his entire attention. I-Ie is not likelyto be shaken from serious concentration in mathematics at the soundofa famiiiar tune full of remembrance. This would be sufficientdi~traction to cause a woman to forget mathematics while a manwould whistle it impersonally without a hint of nostalgia. It is hisability to shut out the emotional patterns of his life that makes themale mind superior to the female mind. It is true that women likeMadame Curie, Clara Barton, and Harriet Beecher Stowe wereoutstanding, but such women are exceptions to the rule; the femaleis not emotionally suited to the constant competition of the world ofscience, commerce and government.When a man's mind inevitably demands relaxation, he thenswitches to the other track and pursues a woman instead of knowl-edge or his chosen profession. Here, too, we find differences betweenthe two sexes, but that involves a complete discussion in itself.Let us return to man's ability to shut out emotional patterns ofhis life. How else could he Ieave the fireside of comfortable livingto march off to war? His emotions would interfere with the clearthinking that is needed to decide strategic moves and bring aboutultimate victory. In peace as well as in war, the military man mustconstantly face the fact that duty to his country always comes first.One has only to read a few war stories to realize that some men,unable to overcome the emotional barrier, have some very seriouspsychological problems; but this type of man is in the minority as isthe woman who divorces herself from the usual feminine tendenciesand thus makes a thrilling place for herself in the so-called man'sworld. She too has psychological problems to cope with in spite of hersuccess and cleverness.Nature endowed the male and female with separate tendenciesfor a purpose. Man, in general, must take his place as the head ofMANUSCRIPTS 43the family with all the responsibilities of providing the necessitiesof life. The woman must fulfill the tremendous career that is hersin leading her family along the various stages of development tomaturity. Here again, a rule is being cited rather than exceptions tothe rule.An example of man's constant attention to the business at hand isbest illustrated in the Texas drawl of General Lee. His tour of dutyin the Philippines had been extended to foul" years, and the Generaland Mrs. Lee had not seen their only son for that length of time.They were extremely proud, of his graduation fr0111medical school,his selection of a wife, and the announcement of the arrival of agrandson, even though they had missed all these major milestones inhis life. Mrs. Lee commented frequently that she was hardly ableto control her desire to see her son and grandson, but her duties asthe general's wi fe kept her busy enough to prevent serious upsets.A luncheon to entertain a group of important visitors had kept herparticularly busy one week. The clay of the luncheon was full of thesplendor of the beautiful South Pacific. General and Mrs. Lee werereceiving the guests when the' aid whispered that another place wasneeded at the table. The addition was being made when General andMrs. Lee caught sight of their son walking into the room. Both werestunned momentarily, but it was the General who saved embarrass-ment for all concerned by drawling, "Wal, I thought you-all lookedvery familiar, but you better git over there to Grandma quick orshe'll be crawling over the table to git you." He was a General first,and a loving father second.Since the female mind is not being fully utilized in .our presentsociety, one can contemplate what an abrupt change would befall ouraccepted order of living if the male began displaying the emotionalweakness of the female and the woman concentrated solely on busi-ness, science, and politics. One cannot truthfully say this would be achange for the better. It seems only fitting that the sex least likelyto turn away from matters of importance in government or elsewhereshould continue in his capacity as the one with the superior mentalability. ,But in order to prevent being hanged in effigy by the femalesex, I quote a recent newspaper article that will conveniently shattermy theory:Yellow Springs, Ohio-Associated Press-Science has provenwhat many women have long maintained-men are fatheads.Dr. Stanley lVI.Garn, associate professor at Antioch Collegehere, says a recent study of fat and its distribution over thehuman body shows that, although women are 41% fatter thanmen, the 'superior male' has more fat on his head than do women.

Mentality-Male Versus Female

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Mentality-Male Versus Female

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