All -
I for one have never really understood what the importance of those "twin
coincidences" was supposed to be anyway. They're entertaining, but are they
meant to suggest genetic bases for that kind of thing (e.g., toothpaste
preference)? Or are they supposed to indicate the importance of one's
physical characteristics in guiding one's decisions and preferences? For
example, one look at my height and weight and you'd guess that I'd be more
interested in baseball than in basketball or football. One look at my basic
coloration and you'd guess that I'm into daytime outdoor activities (unlike
most pale, freckly persons). If the former is the point, what's the
evidence? If the latter, don't we already know that?
It seems to me that even if twin coincidences were more that just
coincidences or fabrications, they're not really all that interesting,
unless you're clinging to some bizarre notions about the irrelevance of
physical characteristics to psychological ones.
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
