Well, Beth, as a MZ twin I'll
try to answer your question, "Just exactly how do you "treat someone
differently"? "
For starters, you're sort of a
mini-celebrity because you stand out and most kids in school know about "the
twins." And then there's the fact that if someone knows your co-twin they
think they know you so you really don't have to work very hard to meet people.
For example, I was at a conference when an adorable blond came up &
gave me a big hug & kiss. Turns out it was my twins neuroanatomy
prof from med school It was something of a shock when we
went to different colleges and I wasn't a "mini-celebrity." I actually had to
work to meet people.
And then there are all the twits (usually
adults) who are always comparing and have no problem asking 2 little boys,
"who's stronger?" or "who's smarter?"
It is a different experience.
Ed
Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass
fiddler and herpetoculturist...... in approximate order of
importance.
Subject: Re: A question about twins from a student
From: "Beth Benoit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 10:44:58 -0500
Since I am a twin (fraternal, and not looking very much like my twin), =
I've always been very interested in twin studies. I think Annette's =
student is echoing our culture's assumptions that twins are treated =
differently, and that identical twins are treated even more differently =
than unalike fraternals or non-twin siblings.
Just exactly how do you "treat someone differently"? I've always =
wondered that. Aside from the curiosity factor, I doubt that any two =
individuals in these categories are truly treated any differently =
because of where they stand in the twin/non-twin category. The >difference I can recall was that, as adolescents, we were occasionally =
told that we couldn't both be invited for a sleepover because a friend's =
mother would "only let her have one friend over." People seemed to =
think it unconscionable that only one of us could be invited. This =
sounds bizarrely unimportant now, but at the time, seemed hugely unfair. =
=20
From: "Beth Benoit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 10:44:58 -0500
Since I am a twin (fraternal, and not looking very much like my twin), =
I've always been very interested in twin studies. I think Annette's =
student is echoing our culture's assumptions that twins are treated =
differently, and that identical twins are treated even more differently =
than unalike fraternals or non-twin siblings.
Just exactly how do you "treat someone differently"? I've always =
wondered that. Aside from the curiosity factor, I doubt that any two =
individuals in these categories are truly treated any differently =
because of where they stand in the twin/non-twin category. The >difference I can recall was that, as adolescents, we were occasionally =
told that we couldn't both be invited for a sleepover because a friend's =
mother would "only let her have one friend over." People seemed to =
think it unconscionable that only one of us could be invited. This =
sounds bizarrely unimportant now, but at the time, seemed hugely unfair. =
=20
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