The Male Brain—Explained

By:Laura Schaefer


Women have puzzled over it for year, why the heck do men do the things they do? Why are they so in love with you one minute, then ignoring you the next (say, when an Attila the Hun special turns up on TV)? Why can they not remember our birthdays? Let science explain some of these conundrums and help you rev up your relationships!

1. Be patient with his memory.
The hippocampus, where initial memories are formed, occupies a smaller percent of the male brain than the female brain. If on your first date he can’t remember where you work, even though you told him all about it when you met, just remember that size matters…hippocampus size, that is. Don’t take it personally. (Oh, and don’t be surprised when, months down the line, he has no clue you’ve just changed your hair.)

2. Don’t expect him to get hints.
Have a crush on him? You may have to put it out there, because men aren’t as skilled at women at reading subtle emotional cues. As Dr. Larry Cahill of the University of California at Irvine puts it, “We have been assuming that the ways in which emotions are organized in the brain are essentially similar in men and women,” but they aren’t. Parts of the limbic cortex, which is involved in emotional responses, are smaller in men than in women. Additionally, scientists as McMaster University have found that guys have a smaller density of neurons in areas of the temporal lobe that deal with language processing. That’s why it’s probably a good idea to tell him straight-up how you’re feeling (“I’m kind of hurt that you forgot I hate sushi”). Expecting him to infer from your hints could leave both of you scratching your head.

3. Don’t take conversation lulls personally.
Fact is, guys in general just aren’t as verbally adept as women are. Large parts of the cortex the brain's outer layer that does a big part of recognizing and using subtle language cues are thinner in men than they are in women. A study led by Dr. Godfrey Pearlson of Johns Hopkins University has shown that two areas in the frontal and temporal lobes that play an important role in language processing are significantly smaller in men. Using MRIs, the Johns Hopkins scientists measured gray matter volumes in several brain regions in 17 females and 43 males. Women had 23 percent more volume than men in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and 13 percent more volume than men in the superior temporal cortex. “Women,” explains Dr. Cahill, “excel in being able to come up with appropriate words given cues.” Men, not so much. Don’t expect him to chatter with you on dates with the skill of a girlfriend, and don’t assume he’s not interested in you if he occasionally lets the conversation lapse. Think of it this way: He’s simply basking in moments of quiet companionship.

4. Appreciate his naturally upbeat nature.
Does he seem to be “up” most of the time? It’s not your imagination: Male brains produce 52 percent more serotonin (the chemical that influences mood) than female brains, according to a study done at McGill University. And studies show that fewer men than women suffer from depression. Guys may also have an easier time rolling with life’s big stresses. If he tells you he recently lost his golden lab or suffered a job loss and doesn’t get all teary, it doesn’t mean he’s heartless; rather, he has healthy stores of serotonin.

5. Don’t expect his take on your relationship history to match yours.
He may be incapable of seeing your shared past the way you do. Brain images have started to show that men and women use their brains in vastly different ways. For example, women use the left part of the amygdala to put memories in order by emotional strength, meaning that something emotionally important to them (like a great first date a couple of months ago) will be ordered in front of what they ate for breakfast yesterday. Men, however, use the right part of the amydala to put memories in order. Traditionally, the right hemisphere of the brain is associated with the central action of an event, while the left hemisphere is associated with finer details. Translation: You'll both remember your first date, but he might not remember the colour of your jumper or the light rain that was falling that night. It doesn’t mean he was checked out; it just means he’s a guy.

6. Remember his brain is his largest sex organ.
In males of several species including humans, the preoptic area of the hypothalamus is greater in volume, in cross-sectional area and in the number of cells. In men, this area is more than two times larger than in women, and it contains twice as many cells. And what, say you, does this have to do with the horizontal fox trot? Plenty. This area of the hypothalamus is in charge of mating behaviour. This small structure connects to the pituitary gland, which releases sex hormones. So if your bf wants to get intimate all the time and you feel like Ms. Low Desire, remember: You’re just experiencing normal, brain-based differences.

That was intresting...I hope I don't forget it by the end of this post!

Hope not, but then the women on the forum would not take it personally

thanks for the help us men need all the help we can get.but i feel like`i have a small brain now

You know the great debate is whether we (men) started out that different than our female counterparts or we evolved to it? I lean towards evolution being a huge factor.

COOL!!! Thanks a bunch

Now I know, sweet bonny Miss, why I wait for the woman that gets in my face and stays in my face.

Right where I can taste her, smell her, touch her, gaze upon her, feel her, hear her sighs, know her want, and only imagine her desire.


Ladies, that's why your feet are made for walking.

I think I should print that out so the next time a girl gets pissed at me for not remembering the fine details of something. I am going to hand that to them and walk away....

hhmmm...the perfect Prenuptual agreement, perhaps!!!!

# 2 and # 3....guilty..

I'm not entirely sure so don't quote me on it, I think although female brains are quite good at emotional and abstract concepts, the male brain it better at logic. This by no means means men are smarter, we just always need a reason for something and are confused when something doesn't immediately make sense.

It also gets us into a lot of trouble, like if your girl says to go ahead and do something she actually doesn't want you to do, you might be like "Well she gave me the ok and she wouldn't lie to me, she loves me!"

cute one lol

You guys never learn.......................practice the art of mind reading ( works every time )


woulbee

love your poems.....................

Why thank you kind sire

not to mention that women have a thicker corpus collosum which makes it easier for women to multitask due to the improved communication between the left and right brain hemispheres... many women expect men to be able to keep up with what they are talking about while men are left in the dust...
men are one-track minded and goal oriented. if you do not present a beginning, middle, and end to any concept before moving on to another topic, man will become confused and his brain may shut down lol

Interesting Title, couldn't read the whole analysis... If you want answers to the question at hand, get it from the horses mouth... There is no possible way someone from the opposite gender can comprehend why and what the other is thinking. As many women think they are mind readers the simple truth is they're not. Men statistically think of the same things over and over again, so your just recognizing the pattern not gazein into his third eye or peering into his soul whathave you... Science has been, on the other hand, has been primalily founded by men, up until recently... So with a somewhat demeaning attitude, do you think men have the capacity to analize the brain and accuratly report to the masses their findings?

very true