(... and appearances attract? Interesting...)
Trevor and I often joke about how we're a picture-perfect example of opposites attracting. He's very outgoing and I'm more reserved. He's skinny and I'm . . . rounder. I'm neat, he's messy. The list could go on, but you get the idea.
So you might not find it surprising to learn that the ways we squeeze the toothpaste are also opposite. But what's interesting is that the ways we do it strangely don't seem to fit our personality types — and thus the title of this post. Trevor neurotically squeezes from the end (and gets angry when I don't), and I like to casually squeeze from the middle.
I think it's more efficient and nearly effortless to squeeze from the middle several days in a row and then take a minute every week or two to squeeze the toothpaste up to the top. He purports that you can squeeze from the bottom in one simple motion just like you can from the middle and then that way there's always toothpaste at the top, but that's a load of trash. It's so not as easy. It's awkward, if anything.
A female friend of mine sides with me, so I'm left wondering — is the age-old debate a gender thing? Is it a matter of coordination? Or are Trevor and I still just opposites in a crazy, messed-up way?
Thoughts?
Crazy, yes. All of you middle toothpaste squeezers are crazy. Life is about being efficient. I have so much other stuff to do I don't want to mess with the tedious stuff. So if I can make my life any easier by cutting out the "push the toothpaste forward" step then I will by continually pushing from the back. So in short ,you must not have enough to worry about and you must be getting good sleep at night so that you have the time and energy to fix the toothpaste each week. :)
ReplyDeleteI studied how people squeezed their toothpaste tubes for a class at BYU. Pretty interesting. I primarily focused on Laa's apartment. We still joke about it today.
ReplyDeleteI am with YOU, Ashley. Squeezing from the end IS awkward. Who wants to get a hand cramp first thing in the morning or right before going to sleep? Not me, that's for sure. I think all the top squeezers waste more time fumbling to awkwardly grab the end of the tube than us normal people "waste" by setting aside the 0.2 seconds it takes to squeeze to the top every once in a while!
ReplyDeleteWeighing in on the gender question, I squeeze from the end. And it has nothing to do with efficiency. It's about aesthetics--the tube is much prettier if there isn't a big crumple in the middle. :)
ReplyDeleteI actually scrutinized my own toothpaste squeezing behavior and realized that I squeeze from the middle but mainly because of facility, strength, and accuracy. Typically girls' hands aren't big enough (and sometimes strong enough) to squeeze from the end AND get enough paste out the other end AND accurately direct it on to the brush.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on 2 issues...
ReplyDelete1) Definitely a middle squeezer...when you are in the act of putting the toothpaste on and holding your toothbrush in one hand, it is much too difficult to sqeeze from the end. Occasionally I will squeeze it all up to the top...just as a maintenance procedure
2) I think opposites do better together! If I married someone like myself, I would definitely be on prozac.....Russell and I are complete opposites which is kind of funny to me now because I thought we were exactly alike when we were dating...oh boy I was in for a surprise! But just like Steven Covey says 'Two very different people can create very effective synergy if you have common goals and values'. Ok those aren't his exact words, but something close to that. Amen to Steven and to this extremley long comment!
While I would like to defend my hands and their toughness, I completely agree with the middle-squeezing. Why squeeze from the bottom every time? It's true, it limits accuracy and it's awkward. And like Nat said, every once in a while I'll squeeze from the bottom for maintenance. But there's nothing like being able to squeeze a new tube o' toothpaste right in the middle. It's gratifying, and it's sad this pleases me.
ReplyDeleteAs for opposites, Sean does squeeze from the bottom and he is the neater one, but we use different tubes so it doesn't really matter. Other than that though, we are rather and weirdly similar. I do not think we went the "opposites attract" route.
p.s. my word verification word: coarbuts. what?
When it's full I squeeze from the middle. Half full, the bottom. What I really hate is when dried crud gets all over the top and you can't close the lid. That's disgusting. Our solution? We each have our own toothpaste to squeeze however we pleeze! :)
ReplyDeleteForget the future president and certain propositions, this is where people speak out! Thanks for the comments, everyone.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with you, Gina, on finding the perfect solution. We recently ended up with two tubes of toothpaste, with all the moves and whatnot, and my ugly one stays in the cupboard and Trevor's neat one sits on display in the medicine cabinet — emotionally and aesthetically pleasing.
Um, i said that Sean & I use different tubes. Is my comment invisible??
ReplyDeleteYep, just like this last one was. (Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. :D) So in response, thank you for everyone's feedback. Especially you, Jen. Jen's was the best.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to say this to Natalie: I'm surprised at issue #1, given your self-proclaimed Monica tendencies. Does that figure in to your decision at all?
I know, it is rather surprising. I guess it is kind of like Monica's 'secret' closet....I am a middle-squeezer. I do have a few other 'secret closet' issues.....like I LOVE drinking milk out of the gallon. It just tastes so much better to me than in a cup. (Don't ask me to borrow milk unless you don't mind my germs!) I am guessing that I will probably have to get less Monica like as I get kids....I wonder what the real Monica would have been like if there were a season 11.....? I actually wasn't sure what Russ was because we also use 2different tubes (he likes Sensodyne.....yuk) but he is an end-squeezer! What is with these end-squeezing men?
ReplyDeleteI read a study once where they found that men tend to be freaks with their body cleaning supplies. They use way too much soap and toothpaste and brush really hard and things like that. i don't know if this relates to HOW they use them but that they are more likely to become obsessive compulsive about it, for some reason.
ReplyDelete