Judy Harris made the case of conjoined twins Laleh and Ladan Bijani a central theme of her book _No Two Alike_ (2006). The puzzle she posed for herself (and for all of us) was to explain why two people, constrained by identical genes and mandated to live in extraordinarily similar environments, nevertheless developed as separate individuals with distinct personalities. Tragically, the twins, when young adult women, died during the separation surgery they were determined to risk.
This video gives a glimpse of the life of two teen-agers, Abbey and Brittany, who face a similar severe restriction on their lives, and who appear to have succeeded in overcoming its challenges. Unlike Laleh and Ladan, separation for these twins is undoubtedly not an option. Perhaps that helps explain what appears to be remarkable adjustment to their life as conjoined twins. And yes, they make a brief but emphatic declaration that despite their enforced closeness, they remain separate individuals with separate personalities. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [email protected] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
