Fathers, Sons, Uncles, err... Men!!!

[Guest guest]

Are men really brain damaged at birth?

Mark E. Howerter " The Other Side "

 

When human babies are developing in the mother's womb some interesting

differences between boys and girls have been observed by medical

researchers. It seems that even as baby boys develop in utero,

testosterone is produced. Testosterone has an interesting effect on

the fetal brain in boys.

 

The human cerebrum is the largest part of the human brain making up

about 85% of its weight. It is divided into two halves; the left

cerebral hemisphere and the right cerebral hemisphere. These two

" halves " of the brain are connected by bundles of nerve fibers. The

largest of these nerve bundles is called the corpus callosum.

 

Testosterone is mildly damaging to the nerve fibers in the corpus

callosum in baby boys. The connecting link between both halves of the

brain in baby girls is left totally intact. Boy babies have a little

less working connective nerve fiber between the two sides of the brain

because of the presence of testosterone as the brain develops.

 

Women have believed forever that men are at least slightly brain

damaged, and now it turns out that they are actually right!

 

This mild " brain damage " that takes place in developing baby boys has

some intriguing consequences. Women are thought to be more emotional

and less logical than men. There is now evidence to suggest why that

is. The two halves of the human brain are responsible for different

functions. The right half is responsible for emotion. The left half of

the brain is responsible for logic. Women have equal access to both

halves. Men seem to be generally more " left brained. "

 

This all sounds a bit colossal, I know, but I'm not making this up.

 

My wife, Cindy has a friend in Mackinaw, IL who came to visit us after

just getting back from her doctor one day. She seemed frustrated so

Cindy asked her what was wrong. Her friend replied, " Oh, that doctor

of mine is just too 'left-brained'! " She had just been reading a book

on the things I am writing about and felt that her doctor was too

logical and didn't have enough human feelings for her.

 

By men having greater access to the right hemisphere of the brain than

the left, men tend to be more logical and show less emotion. Women are

not necessarily less logical but their sense of logic is equally

balanced with emotion. I am not so much trying to make a case for men

being more logical. I am making a case that men are less emotional.

 

Men tend to pride themselves on not showing emotion. I don't see this

tendency as a good thing. Men have the same emotions as women do, they

just don't allow anyone to see them very often.

 

The reason for writing on such a subject when there are so many other

things I am dying to cover is simple. I have seen two excellent movies

on video lately. They are " 8 Seconds " and " Rudy. " (I give both movies

my highest rating, " 5 Dittos. " ) Both movies are about young men who

have a deep inner need to make their fathers proud of them.

 

All boys have a deep need for their fathers to accept them and be

proud of them. Most fathers probably are proud of their sons. In " 8

Seconds " we find out that Lane's dad was very proud of his son but

just never told him so. This is all too typical of fathers and sons.

 

On the old " Bob Newhart Show, " the one where Bob was a psychologist,

the show always started out with a group therapy session, Bob tells

one guy, " That's good Mr. ... get in touch with those feelings. "

Sadly, men spend their whole lives " trying to get in touch with those

feelings. " It isn't that they don't have the feelings. Men just have

an awful time telling somebody else how they feel.

 

There are rare cases where a father is genuinely ashamed of his son. I

had a friend growing up who, sadly, fell into this category. His dad

was a big strappin' man who always wanted a big strappin' son who

would be the quarterback on the football team. My friend was very

skinny and frail with small bones and long fingers like his mother. He

was not a sissy at all, but he would have been killed if he had gone

out for football. He was a very gifted pianist, though.

 

My friend's dad was never able to bring himself to be proud of his son

for the talents he did possess. He was always ashamed of him that he

was not a football star. This kind of father is the exception and not

the rule, however. At least I hope so.

 

Too many sons spend too much of their lives trying to make ol' dad

proud when, if the truth were known, he already is proud. Too many ol'

dads just can't bring themselves to be able to tell their sons how

they feel about them. What a shame.

 

Come on dads, overcome that little bit of brain damage and go ahead,

" get in touch with those feelings. " What men lack in brain connective

fiber can be made up for with sheer determination. Tell those boys of

yours that you love them and that you are proud of them. Life will be

so much better for both of you.

 

Reviewed on: Jun 07, 01