Last week, an online female friend (35) asked me the question above. Immediately, I recognised my new blog title. Actually, I fit her question quite well. It was also the reason why my parents were advised to put me in secondary school (ie, MAVO-4). That started my fighting spirit.
Over the years, science stated that brain maturity was different for men (eg, 27) and women (eg, 24). This explains higher insurance rates for young male drivers, who (generally) have a higher risk appetite (eg, speeding). Still, there is another explanation: men like power, playing, and power-play.
Recent scientific research by Leiden University argues that it is a myth that boys lag behind in brain development. Interestingly, it’s the first study that directly links brain development to gender differences and school performance. Unfortunately, the 2019 study is inconclusive:
“It is true that girls perform better at school than boys, but this is not due to differences in brain development.” [] ‘We don’t know where the differences in school performance come from, but it isn’t due to a difference in brain development between boys and girls.’ “ Note: markings by LO.
Quotes from a 2019 Leiden University press release: It is a myth that boys lag behind in brain development
In general, men and women have a different focus: men like Power, playing, and power-play while women like Knowledge (eg, books, school). The glue that holds them together is Love. Hence, my triangle of Love, Knowledge & Power. Also see my 2022 blog: Love, Knowledge & Power, a f/m perspective.
A 2017 Stanford Medicine article comes to a similar conclusion:
“Adjusted for total brain size (men’s are bigger), a woman’s hippocampus, critical to learning and memorization, is larger than a man’s and works differently. Conversely, a man’s amygdala, associated with the experiencing of emotions and the recollection of such experiences, is bigger than a woman’s.”
Quote from the 2017 Stanford Medicine article: Two minds. The cognitive differences between men and women
I suppose we have long been misinformed about brain maturity (eg, “3 years difference”). Boys and men like to play (eg, power games, power-play, sports), which is/was often deemed as immature. On the other hand, women and girls have an alleged mature interest in learning and teaching.
Treating your boyfriend as a mature, responsible man may well drive him away into the arms of a woman, who treats him like the man-child, who he still wants to be. Generally, men cherish the boy inside them, like women cherish the girl inside them.
It’s Different For Girls (1979) by Joe Jackson
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-song
[Pre-Chorus]
She said, “I can’t believe it
You can’t possibly mean it
Don’t we all want the same thing?
Don’t we?
Well, who said anything about love?”
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise
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