We are so different: seven differences between a man and a woman. Men and women: why are we so different

29.04.2019

Our differences in ways of perceiving, reacting and behaving, we are accustomed to explain by the action of hormones or upbringing. But science says that the basis of our dissimilarity lies in the peculiarities of the brains of men and women. And here's the evidence.

“We have two intersections left to go, then we turn right and see the town hall building,” says Andrei, carefully studying the tourist map of the city. “Yes, I remember there was a candy store on the corner,” I easily answer him ... Most of us, of course, are familiar with such situations. Men and women, we often perceive the world around us differently, we think differently, the same situations cause us opposite emotions. Until quite recently, these differences were explained to us solely by the action of sex hormones and the style of raising boys and girls, which “forces” men and women to behave in a certain way. Today, more and more scientists are confident that the gender characteristics of our perception, thinking and even behavior are primarily related to the structure and functioning of our brain. Let's try to figure this out.

congenital dissimilarity

In January 2005, in his public speech, Lawrence Summers, rector of Harvard University (USA), stated that men are more successful in science than women, and this may be due to the anatomical features of their brain. “This remark reopened a scientific discussion that began more than a century ago, when scientists, having discovered that the brain size of men is slightly larger than that of women, they tried to use this fact to justify their intellectual superiority,” says Larry Cahill (Larry Cahill), neuroscientist at the University of California (USA).

Today there is no evidence that our intellectual abilities depend solely on the structure of the brain, but something else is clear: the brain of men and women develops and functions differently. “It differs not only in the structure of various departments, but also in the structure of neural circuits and chemical compounds that carry messages from neuron to neuron,” says Marina Butovskaya, Doctor of Biological Sciences, anthropologist. Moreover, these differences are formed long before our birth: they are laid down genetically. Between 18 and 26 weeks of fetal development, the testicles of an unborn boy begin to produce the sex hormone testosterone, which, interacting with the brain tissue, transforms it*. Ultrasound examination of a woman at 26 weeks of gestation allows you to distinguish the brain of a boy from the brain of a girl.

FROM BIRTH, WE ARE GIVEN ONLY A TENTH OF OUR MENTAL ABILITIES. THE OTHER ARE FORMED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Comparison of merits

Research by scientists over the past ten years allows us to say that there are two types of brain: male and female. “The most important difference is that our limbic system and the cerebral cortex are developed differently,” explains Sergey Saveliev**, Doctor of Biology. - The cortex (it is responsible for conscious perception, analysis, comparison, choice) of a man contains about 11 billion nerve cells, a woman has about nine. But in the female brain, the limbic system (an older area of the brain that controls physiological, hormonal processes, emotional and instinctive behavior) dominates.”

We differ genetically, the brain has a gender: male or female.
Women with a male brain type (and vice versa) are not so rare.
Only a part of our features is given to us from birth: a lot depends on our upbringing and environment.

congenital dissimilarity

FROM BIRTH, WE ARE GIVEN ONLY A TENTH OF OUR MENTAL ABILITIES. THE OTHER ARE FORMED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Comparison of merits

We speak different languages

Men and women not only perceive the world differently, but also speak about different things and use different words.

It is known that men and women are interested in different topics. Men talk more about politics, cars, sports; women - about children, fashion, relationships. At the same time, everything that the stronger sex talks about is taken seriously, and women's conversations are usually regarded as trivial *. This is how social representations are manifested, according to which what men do and say is significant and important, and what women do is less significant. Women often use adjectives in their speech, use diminutive suffixes (“baby”, “cute”); in the speech of men there are more verbs and nouns. Usually, the strong half of humanity is allowed much more than the fairer sex: women generally use literary forms, while men more often use colloquial expressions, jargon and abuse.

* Gender and Language. Languages of Slavic Culture, 2005.

Other important gender features of the functioning of the brain are related to the size of its regions. In 2001, neurophysiologists from Harvard Medical School, led by Jill Goldstein, compared 45 areas of the brain and found, for example, that women, on average, have better developed areas of the frontal lobe of the cortex, where the centers responsible for planning actions are located *** . And in men, the areas of the parietal cortex involved in the perception of space. In addition, men have a larger amygdala, a small area of the brain that controls emotions, social and sexual behavior. “Interestingly, in the same situations,” says Larry Cahill, “in men, the right amygdala nucleus is activated, and in women, the left. That is why men, when talking about an event, describe it as a whole, while women concentrate on the details.

At the same time, there are women among us who have a “male” brain, and vice versa. “In about 10% of women, the brain is masculinized to varying degrees,” says Marina Butovskaya. - This is due to the fact that their nervous system even before birth, in the womb, at the age of six to eight weeks, was exposed to an excessive dose of testosterone. The brain is feminized to some extent in 15–20% of men. The reason for this, on the contrary, is the lack of testosterone ... Most often this happens if the mother experienced severe stress during pregnancy.

Inherit and develop

But why did nature and evolution take care to make us so different from each other? Sergei Savelyev believes that our differences are primarily related to the reproductive task - to continue the human race - which means that the influence of upbringing, education and the environment in which we live is limited. “We are born with only one tenth of our neural networks, the rest are formed under the influence of stimuli coming from the outside world,” disagrees neuroscientist Catherine Vidal (Catherine Vidal), chief researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This means that part of the brain differences is acquired.

“A woman is not born, one is made,” Simone de Beauvoir wrote in The Second Sex (Progress, Aletheia, 1997). It seems that men are not born either. In a word, each sex needs to know its strengths in any case ... in order to be able to laugh at their weaknesses!

Why do you need testosterone?

Its amount (men have more testosterone) determines the "sex" of the brain, but not only. Men owe testosterone many qualities necessary for hunting and war. Depends on him: muscle strength, speed of reaction and impatience (92% of drivers buzzing at traffic lights are men!), aggressiveness, competitiveness, dominance instinct (the dominant male ensures the quality of the breed), accuracy, endurance and stamina, wound healing, beard growth and baldness, vigilance (this allows the hunter to notice animals from afar), orientation in space (to return home with prey), craving for adventure, for new experience, willingness to take risks, sexual attraction to a young female (ready for reproduction) and the desire to protect her. In turn, the female hormones estrogens develop in a woman an attraction to a dominant male, strong and experienced, recognized in society (hence, not too young, but able to protect her).

* Prenatal Diagnosis, 2001, vol. 21. ** Head of the Department of Embryology, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, author of the books The Origin of the Brain (Vedi, 2005), Atlas of the Human Brain (Vedi, 2005). *** New Scientist, July 16, 2008.

The world of relationships is a rather complicated, but interesting world. Over time, we gain experience, learn the difference of characters, learn to build constructive relationships. In a family, people come into contact with each other quite close, misunderstanding and conflicts often arise. And this happens mainly not because there is a lot of evil and selfishness in us, it's just that we are very different, men and women.
Love is the greatest force in the universe. Loving a partner means giving him a place in your own heart; those. personality traits that your partner has, take into yourself and develop in yourself. The more we accept from another person in our heart, the stronger our connection with him and the deeper our relationship. We anticipate that in a relationship of love between a man and a woman, the desire for reliability, unity, trust, and closeness is realized. We are drawn to each other. We are also attracted by the fact that we are different. Through the knowledge of her husband, a woman learns the world of men, and a man knows the world of women.

Differences between men and women.

Men value most of all: power, competence, success in work and achievement of results. They find satisfaction, to a greater extent, through the achievement of personal victory. When difficulties arise, the man first tries to solve the problem alone. If a woman begins to give advice to a man without his request, he may perceive this as distrust. He may feel that you doubt his ability to solve the problem on his own. Another thing is if he asks for advice himself. If a man himself starts talking about a problem, this is an invitation and shows that he is open to advice.

What women value: love, communication, beauty, feelings.
Women's self-awareness is largely determined by feelings and the quality of relationships. It is very important for them to share their feelings and experiences. Women try to live in harmony, unity and devotion. The expression of individual personality traits, especially feelings, is very important for them. If independence and independence are important for a man, then a woman needs the opportunity to express her individuality. Understanding and empathy, as well as the opportunity to express their own feelings, are an important source of satisfaction for women. For contrast: men are said to be the most important for them to achieve the goal, and about women, that relationships are most important to them.
Knowledge of the differences and different needs of men and women can go a long way in creating a harmonious relationship between spouses.

Different nature of relationships between men and women.

Independence for men...
If a man does not have the opportunity to periodically move away, he will never be able to experience a strong desire for intimacy.
It is important for women to understand that men constantly feel their need for autonomy and independence, especially after they have realized their need for intimacy. His need for intimacy is periodically replaced by a need for autonomy. Men can only tolerate a certain degree of intimacy. From this point on, they begin to feel the need for independence and begin to move away. Men often do not fully realize how unpleasant it can be for women when they suddenly move away, and after a while again unexpectedly return.
Women should tell them about it, but in a gentle way! Those. not “poke”, but talk about your feelings. For example: “When you are not around for a long time, I feel loneliness.”

Waves of feelings in women.
Women have phases in which they are full of love, but also phases when they feel empty inside, and that is when they need someone who can understand them and fill them with love. Before a woman is back on the crest, she must first reach the bottom of the wave and feel loved. When a man loves a woman, she glows with love and satisfaction. Most men expect it to be that way forever. Expecting this loving, sweet creature to never change is as absurd as expecting the weather to never change.
To bring love into a woman's life when she is at the bottom of the wave means to give her a great gift that she will certainly appreciate. Thus, there will be more trust in the relationship. Listening, accepting and doing something good for your dear wife, this is what it means to bring love into a woman's life. Men inwardly withdraw and reappear, while women experience good times and bad times in their ability to be positive and loving.
If a woman satisfies a man's need for freedom, he can satisfy her need for understanding. And vice versa… The basis of a successful partnership is that we take and respect the partner’s needs as seriously as our own,

Ah, this female and male logic, different views on life, respectively, and different life positions. It is this (of course, except for sexual characteristics) that distinguishes men from women. But, Why do we perceive the world that surrounds us differently? Why do we give different assessments of the same events that happen to us? What is the difference between a "male" look and a "female" one? And finally, the most important question: Why are men and women different?

All this "why", "what for" and "how" is a completely scientific explanation.

Vision of a man and a woman

First of all, we really look at the world differently, nature endowed women with the ability to see the picture of the world as a whole, but men see individual details in this picture. That's why, men are better than women at seeing objects at a distance(the exception is, of course, cases when there are problems with vision), but their male gaze lacks the breadth of perception, unlike women, they have absolutely no developed lateral perception of vision. On an example, it looks like this - a man can search for a thing lost in the house for a long time and tediously, and it will take him more time to search for it than a woman who will cover the picture of the room and the objects in it as a whole and quickly find what her scattered the man lost. Therefore, you should not scold our men for their inattention and absent-mindedness - they really do not notice the obvious things. Another example - when a woman does not look at you, this does not mean at all that she is not watching you, you are still in her field of vision, but when a man does not look at you - this means what it means - he does not see you.
Different perception of colors.Women's vision can distinguish more colors than men's.. The female eye has a higher photosensitivity because it contains more cells that are responsible for the perception and identification of colors. That is why, a man will not “bother” what color of wallpaper to choose in the bedroom - light purple or dark purple, for him these two colors mean one color - purple.
Different eye sensitivity in the dark. A woman sees better in the dark than a man, but this applies to those objects that are at close range. The man sees the night picture somewhat blurry, but, for him, objects are still visible (albeit poorly, but visible) in the distance. That is why, let a man drive a car at night better than a woman.
different hearing sensitivity. And again women hear better and capture higher sound frequencies, and changes in intonation in the voice better than men. In addition, the female brain has the ability to separate sound information and perceive it not as a cacophony of sounds, but as separately sounding signals. On an example, it looks like this - when talking to you, a woman listens to you, speaks herself, and hears what is happening in the next room. A man, in order to focus on a conversation, needs to remove all extraneous sounds.

Differences between a man and a woman expressed by other "instruments" of perception of the surrounding world

Dream. Women's sleep is more sensitive than men's. As practice shows, it is the woman who is more likely to wake up from a barely audible night rustle. Why? Yes, because during sleep the female brain continues to work actively, and the activity of the male brain during sleep decreases by more than seventy percent. Therefore, a woman wakes up from any sound in the silence of the night ...

Leather. Men's skin is thicker than women's. That is why men tolerate cold and heat more easily, and have better protection against all kinds of scratches and abrasions. But, the price for such an undeniable advantage was the almost complete loss of skin sensitivity. And, women's skin is ten times more sensitive than men's. Therefore, stroking men is useless - they still do not feel pleasant sensations from our touches, unlike women, for whom tactile contact is of great importance. This feature of the skin also affects the fact that men have much fewer wrinkles and they appear at a more mature age, the envy of the fair sex.

Different perception of pain of men and women. A woman feels pain signals more acutely, but she also tolerates them better. And, here is the male brain, at moments that require active physical action from a man, or when it gets into stressful situations, it loses the sensation of the pain threshold.

Tastes and smells. And, again, the female perception is in the lead here, but men are better versed in bitter and salty tastes, and women in sweet ones. Such abilities are the fruits of atavism from the past, when our male ancestors were engaged in identifying what can be eaten and what is not, and the ancestors of a woman already determined the taste, whether it is worth eating now or waiting a little ...

These are just a few illustrative examples why men and women are different, but this is really enough to understand that we are different. So different, but so necessary to each other. So, knowing that we really see, hear and feel this world differently, maybe we will stop being offended at each other and accuse of inattention, insensitivity and misunderstanding. We need to learn to accept each other the way nature created us!

Shevtsova Olga, World Without Harm

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4 comments to the article “A man and a woman are inhabitants of different planets…” - see below

There is some truth in what they say that men and women came from different planets. We sometimes really think that we are aliens and we don't understand each other at all. Although it is not so difficult for representatives of different sexes to understand each other, the main thing is to know the seven differences between a man and a woman.

Men fall in love more often and faster

Experts believe that men and women perceive serious relationships differently, because different parts of the brain are responsible for the love feelings that they have. Women, they say, love with their ears, and this is only a fraction of the truth. They evaluate the potential of the stronger sex, using the mind and memory b. Men, in order to evaluate a woman, look at her, evaluate her external data. It has been like this since primitive times: men first became convinced that a woman is capable of producing healthy offspring, they got information about it by her appearance: smooth skin without defects, blooming appearance, shiny long hair - all this speaks of her strength and ability to endure and raise a healthy heir.

Men - sex, women - romance

There are more lovers of romance among women than among men. When a man is aroused, hormones are released, resulting in an erection. These hormones are able to suppress the ability of men to think rationally. And therefore, being in a fit of passion, your lover will not pay attention to the candles placed in the bedroom, what color your underwear is, he will be completely taken over by instincts.

Men evaluate women visually, for women the inner world is more important

A man can appreciate a woman very quickly by looking at her just a little. And here women fail to visually determine whether a man is trustworthy whether he can provide it, etc. A woman needs to know how a man treats children, whether he is generous, kind, whether he can get along with her mother or not, who he works now and who he was in the past, what is his financial condition.

Men live on average less than women

According to statistics, men live an average of eight years less than women. In addition, the stronger sex does not particularly care about their health. Many men believe that dieting, quitting drinking and smoking, doing aerobics, etc. - not masculine. There are other reasons as well. For example, the fact that men do not live as long as women is partly influenced by the upbringing of the average boy, who is taught that "men do not cry." A woman will cry over grief and calm down faster, and a man will keep everything in himself, because he cannot cry. He continues to be nervous, stressed, and stress shortens life, spoiling not only mental, but also physical health.

Married men want children

While a woman is slowly resigning herself to the role of wife and housewife after marriage, a man is thinking about procreation, that is, about children. He may not talk about it, but he definitely wants to have a child.

Women are more patient and resilient

Men are the stronger sex, but women are more enduring and patient than the opposite sex. Our lovely ladies, even with a fever, a sore throat and snot, can come to work as if nothing had happened, while a man should be scratched, and he immediately unsticks. This, of course, is exaggerated, but I think you understand what I mean.

Men are not afraid of wrinkles and cellulite

Men's skin is thicker and denser in structure than women's, therefore, many members of the stronger sex look younger than many women of their age. In addition, men are not threatened with cellulite - this is a purely female problem.