STEM-Mania

Do You Want a Left Brain in Your Bed or Elsewhere?

I’ve always been weirdly attracted to “science people.”

My best friend in high school was the Valedictorian, and science and math came easily to her. My dad and my older brother are/were doctors and researchers. My exes tend to be “STEM guys.”

I have pretty decent math skills, survived 20 years in fintech, and grasped AI immediately. But I am way more at home with Canva and a keyboard than with a P&L.

Very few people are right-brained or left-brained. The theory that creativity or analysis comes from just one part of the head is being debunked.

And, as we’ve covered, some men are very small-brained oriented.

single eggplant

As I morph this series into broader topics than dating >50, I reflect on the people in my “circle.” (We are no longer permitted to say “tribe,” according to the woke police, although my ancestors were, in fact, a tribe.)

My current friend and colleague community is a pretty good balance of ex-military, tech folk, business leaders and assorted professionals, and (of course) wild and weird creatives, burners, and new randos who enter my life.

What are the five main attributes that all of these people have in common?

• Kindness

• Humor

• Generosity of spirit

• Candor & accountability (which are related)

• Curiosity

Just as we have different types of footwear for various activities, we have different types of friends for activities, needs, and times in our lives.

I will never regret marrying someone very different from me in some ways (a “science guy”) and believe that my daughters are better people because they grew up with a balance of ways of thinking, priorities, and even cultural tastes.

As we age, we have to reevaluate the people in our circle and find that perfect blend of rational thinking and creativity. Sometimes it’s situation-specific.

So, whether your passion is AI and science experiments, mushroom-fueled dancing, or something else, your people are out there somewhere.

Just as Apple and Android devices can perform some of the same functions, humans can always find a common language!

P.S. This article was originally going to be titled, “Beware the Science Guy!” but I realized that some STEMmen are actually kinda cool! It all depends on the five qualities, above!