How well do you know yourself?

[tyro]

Consider these questions without trying to go through the motions.

When you put on a coat or a shirt, which arm do you put in first?
1) Left
2) Right
3) Random

When you put on your socks and shoes, which one is first?
1) Left
2) Right
3) Random

When you remove your socks and shoes, which comes off first?
1) Left
2) Right
3) Random

Be fair and guess your answer first (share) and then come back and let us know how you did.

[Aard Vark]

Shirts Left
Socks on Left
Socks off Random
Boots on Witch ever one the dog hasn't moved

[Gob]

Shirts on right.
Socks on left; normally put my socks on first
Shoes and socks : normally take my shoes off first

[loCAtek]

Left
left
random

[alice]

Left
Left
Right

I guessed, then gave it a try ... interesting 'cos I never realised before how predictable I was about things like that

[Rick]

Random, random, random...

[Miles]

right
left
right

[Guinevere]

Left
Right
As quickly as I can manage after I walk into the door

[Andrew D]

Random
Try to avoid wearing them
Try to avoid wearing them

[tyro]

I infer that these responses were the guesses and that you are all still doing the research to determine how accurate you were.

[Big RR]

Shirt on:m left

Socks on: Left

Socks off; Right

Shoes on: Left

Shoes off: Left

[Rick]

I infer that these responses were the guesses and that you are all still doing the research to determine how accurate you were.

Why would you infer that?

I believe I was imphatic in that it's random I put absolutley no thought into how I done my garments...

[The Hen]

Right.

Right.

I always take my shoes off before my socks. (Left)

[Andrew D]

As ways to determine "how well ... you know yourself," these questions strike me as inadequate to the point of silliness. It should be "How much utterly inconsequential trivia do you know about yourself?"

If we really want to know ourselves, we might ask ourselves such questions as "Why is it that I think the way that I do?" "What things impact how I think, even though I do not realize their impact unless I search for them?" "Why does X bother me but does not bother others around me?" "Why am I so attached to this particular point of view [whatever it is] that challenges to it evoke in me a visceral as well as an intellectual response?" Etc.

[tyro]

If we really want to know ourselves, we might ask ourselves such questions as "Why is it that I think the way that I do?" "What things impact how I think, even though I do not realize their impact unless I search for them?" "Why does X bother me but does not bother others around me?" "Why am I so attached to this particular point of view [whatever it is] that challenges to it evoke in me a visceral as well as an intellectual response?" Etc.

In which case it would have been posted in the Philosophy and Religion forum.

Of course, your questions have no real solid answers, certainly nothing as clear as left or right.

[Andrew D]

True, it may have been better to post the question "How well do you know yourself?" in Philosophy and Religion. That was not my decision.

And true, the subquestions that I posted may "have no real solid answers, certainly nothing as clear as left or right." On the other hand, they are rather more worth taking the time and effort to try to answer.

[loCAtek]

So, why are we doing this, again?

[tyro]

*Sigh*



Remember now, you asked.

You see, a million years ago I was walking along the streets of New Westminster in the month of January. Out there, it is cold but not down right nasty as it is in the rest of Canada and so I wore a coat and strolled into the world with my hands in my pockets.

Like most of Vancouver and its suburbs, the land is hilly and it rose to my right and descended to my left. In addition, in my somewhat lost in space thoughts, I was walking with minimal concern as to my whereabouts.

As it happened, I was approaching a dip in the sidewalk that was provided for someone’s driveway, which was on the uphill side of the street. Water had drained down the driveway and onto the sidewalk where it froze into what they call “black ice”. It is called that because it doesn’t have that usual frosty appearance that you see with ice, rather it looks a lot like wet asphalt.

With my first step onto the ice I fell onto my right shoulder. I went down so fast that I didn’t know I was falling until I hit. I had no time to react with the possible exception of arching myself and preventing my head from hitting.

Still, that put a lot of impact on my shoulder and for months afterwards I couldn’t put my right arm very far behind my back. I noticed this regularly because – as I discovered – I instinctively put my left arm into a coat or shirt first and then search back with my right arm for the corresponding armhole.

But I couldn’t put my right arm back that far.

So I had to consciously put my right arm in first and make my left search behind me for its counterpart. It’s a bit like trying to write with your other hand.

Perhaps because of this I noticed I also have a very strong preference as to which foot gets dressed first and which one gets undressed first.

And so I was wondering if you folks were as unaware of (or have) such a preference. After all, we dress daily and in most cases it involves shoes and a type of shirt that requires starting with one arm.

I bet that most of you are wrong on at least one of your answers. Especially if you said “random”.

[loCAtek]

Ah so! Well, I've heard people can be 'right-footed' just as they are 'right-handed', and Leftie what-evers.

You can also be right/left eared!

[Rick]

I bet that most of you are wrong on at least one of your answers. Especially if you said “random”.

Without a concerted effort to do it one way or another how can it be anything other than random?

Even if it is always one or the other...