I tend to prefer to live life topless and it’s driving my husband nuts, but not in the way you would think!
I am not referring to ditching my shirt and bra but rather a tendency to never secure a top or lid appropriately to anything. We were discussing this the other day and it turned into an opportunity for some self-examination. I learned this is not laziness; but it is the way my brain processes a task.
If you walk in my bathroom, the toothpaste cap is not closed, my hairs products caps are lying to the side of their canisters. My shampoo top is missing and my detergent is opened. In my fridge, I do make a more concerted effort to avoid spills but more than once, a bottle has leaked or spilled. I throw out the bottled water top immediately upon opening a bottled water.
My husband has a theory that I have issues with following through. So, I looked it up. There is a psychology explanation, several of them as a matter of fact.
One reason is that my executive functioning registers complete once a task is done, i.e. I use the lotion. That is why I reached for it. I do not register “success” when the top is back on the bottle but at the point of using the lotion. I prioritize function over form.
Another explanation is my brain works fast. Once I use the lotion, I am on to the next item to complete. This is a trait in reflective, intuitive, future oriented individuals. I am better at starting things apparently than I am finishing them.
I could have mild ADHD, but in a high functioning form. I dismiss this one. If this is the case, then everyone in my family has ADHD. More post on this in the future because this is something my family has dealt with quite a bit but not with me so much.
Some brains prefer to leave things unfinished. It’s called Cognitive Open-Loop Preference. This reflects a non-rigid, internal structure and these types are comfortable with ambiguity.
Overall, I have self-diagnosed this symptom to mean that my mind is orientated towards bigger things than just an insignificant bottle cap. I can identify with this and now it doesn’t bother me at all. I just try to make a more concentrated effort to be careful when using shared items.
I looked up the opposite characteristics of this and saw that if the opposite is true for you, as it is for my husband, then it is because you need emotional equilibrium and regulation. A strong need for closure. Not a symptom of OCD unless it’s driven by fear rather than preference.
I guess opposites really do attract! I bring vision, meaning and flow to our lives, and he brings precision, safety and completion.
Our imperfections make us who we are. Embrace them!
