Thursday, May 3, 2012

Unbalanced

This one goes out to my dear friend Nat, a.k.a. Rince1Wind. 

(See her comment on Jumpy if you want to know why.)

Bilateral symmetry is highly overrated if you ask me. I often wear mismatched earrings (okay, I also lose earrings at a frightening rate so this is in part a practical habit) & since I do most of my shopping at the flea market, not much in my house matches either. I know quite a few people who truly can't stand mismatched lamps or candlesticks or end-tables. It's almost like a physical repulsion for them. Where do you fall on the symmetry question?

p.s. It's not that I dislike symmetry--I often find it absolutely beautiful-- I just like asymmetry too!

p.p.s. This song by Jane Siberry has been running through my head the whole time I was writing this. Clearly she is in the pro-symmetry camp, although to my ear her music actually sounds rather asymmetrical much of the time. Curiouser & curiouser!

7 comments:

  1. Although not symmetrical, he's got that golden mean thing going for him. He's a gem!

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  2. Yeah, I'm with you on the asymmetry. I think that makes us more normal. ha.
    My brother is obsessive compulsive and needs everything to be the same on both sides. OCD types love the number three, and I noticed on a site his username has '3's on either side of it.

    Now if we're talking about teeter-totters, that's a different story...

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  3. It's interesting; this guy is definitely asymmetrical, but his physical mass looks almost balanced. Maybe you subconsciously did that?

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  4. Donna & Ted, you both raise interesting points here-- there are many ways of being balanced without being symmetrical. Also many forms of symmetry that aren't bilateral (I particularly like helical symmetry).

    Likewise, I believe there are many ways to have a balanced mind even when it may appear off-kilter to many! In fact, the brain itself is not bilaterally symmetrical, even though it looks so (roughly) from the outside. So there, symmetricists!

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  5. OMG, the fact that the brain is not symmetrical might drive my brother bonkers.

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  6. Hooray for off-kilterness! Love this fellow and his curly legs. I used to wear different earrings but now I just have the one in my left ear that never comes out. Physical symmetry is over-rated, though of course in those studies of attractiveness in faces, people always like the most symmetrical ones best. Well pffft I say!

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