Girls vs. Boys

     “Girls go to Mars to get more candy bars; boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider” is a saying I remember from elementary school.  None of that saying is true of course, but it brings up the fact that there are some differences in boys and girls. There are some similarities too.

      There are obvious similarities between boys and girls such as two eyes, arms, and legs.  Another similarity is boys and girls can be both mischievous and curious about their world around them.  Both like to learn new things and play or hang out with their friends.  Boys and girls alike can become attached to their parents.  They can do most anything the same, academics, housework, music, and careers.

       There are obvious differences between boys and girls, hence the labels “boy” and “girl”. Boys have an X and Y chromosome; girls have two X chromosomes.  Boys tend to have more hair and a stockier build than girls do.  Girls tend to be more emotional, which is more than likely related to the reproductive side of being female.  Girls like to connect and share their feelings; guys tend to be the opposite.  Most if not all differences between girls and boys are biologically based.  The supposed difference of boys being better in math and science is a stereotype or a negative label.  Dweck warns against negative labels, especially for the fixed mindset person.  “When stereotypes are evoked, they fill people’s minds with distracting thoughts---with secret worries about confirming the stereotype” (Dweck, 2006, p.75). 

       Doctors and nurses have a gender stereotype: “doctors are male; nurses are female.”  This stereotype would coincide with boys are better at math and science because doctors have to go through much more science and math classes than nurses do.  But there are female doctors; there are male nurses.  Gender has no basis in this particular case.  In a job situation such as being a surrogate, obviously only girls could fulfill the job, but very few jobs are gender specific.  According to Gladwell, success comes to people who employ the 10,000 hour rule and take the opportunities available to them.  He does not single out one gender being more successful over the other.  Some of his example success stories were male.  The story of KIPP Academy starred Marita, a girl.  He contributes his whole book to a female, Daisy (Gladwell, 2008). 

      In summary, there are biological, morphological, anatomical, and behavioral differences between girls and boys, but there are similarities too.  In the grand scheme of life, differences between girls and boys only matter when it comes to locker rooms and bathrooms and what specific products need to be made for each side.  Boys and girls can both be successful, as long as they apply themselves.[

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Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers. New York City: Little, Brown and Company.