Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Senses

I once heard that while everybody uses all five senses they tend to favor one above the others.  Over the years I've tried to pay attention to this idea.  I had a roommate who liked to go unusual places just so she could smell them.  I have a sister who can locate things because she is visually dominant.  She remembers where I left my shoe because she saw it misplaced in the living room.  I have a sister that says the plastic of a new doll reminds her of Christmas.  The smell of a doll doesn't do that for me.  Some people focus on the way things sound.  Many people remember colors, shapes, sounds, tastes and smells that I don't even notice. 

I am a toucher.  I like to touch and feel things.  I always have to touch someone's cool granite countertops, the texture on the church walls, the fluffy teddy bear, the divets in a piece of wood, my baby's soft cheeks, etc.  I love the tactile sensation of the cool grass on my bare feet.  I adore the feeling of fresh beach sand between my toes.  That is, until it dries out.  There are fabrics and textures I love and those that I can't stand.  I absolutely HATE flannel pajamas and sheets.  Flannel gives me "princess and the pea" syndrome.  There are some synthetic silks that make me crazy.  I'd probably run if somebody tried to make me wear clothes made from them.  I can't stand lotion because it's slimy.

I could probably write an entire separate entry on slime.  I have problems with textures when it comes to food.  I can overlook texture when it comes to foods that are familiar.  The texture may be an issue for me if it is foreign fare .  I don't like touching raw meat, lotion, some sauces, jello, shampoo (yes, I still use it), mud, oils (bath and otherwise), ointment, and a host of other things.  Slimy, pasty, soggy, greasy, creamy, oily, syrupy things are just difficult for me.

I suppose it isn't surprising that some textures would be hard for me to handle when I favor touch so much. 

So, what sense do you favor?  Smell?  Taste?  Sight?  Touch? or Sound?

5 comments:

  1. I tend to favor sight (I think). I am a very visual learner. In school I did much better at seeing a diagram, a layout of something, a timeline, etc. instead of just reading the text. Same with the scriptures. I can read and read and not really internalize the sequence of events until I see them on a chart or something. And whenever the kids ask where something is I "ususally" know because of where I remembered I last saw it.
    You definitely need to do a post on "slime" and all your issues with it. That would be fascinating. :)

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  2. I think I like smell. I can smell something and brings back memories. The smell of sawdust and chainsaw oil reminds me of when my dad used to go get wood. The smell of rubbing alcohol reminds me of babies (because we used to put that on the umbilical cord stump to dry it out). And I LOVE the smell of old books!

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  3. I'm not really sure. I think I am a touch person too. I can't walk by displays of clothes, curtains, etc. without touching them. Joe always teases me about having to touch everything to decide if I like it or not. I also am a fairly visual person. I usually remembers things by sight as opposed to anything else.
    I sometimes think I must be autistic or something though because I am really sensitive to sounds and smells. I won't really wear perfume or light candles because I hate things to smell. I really hate cleaning product smell. The same with sounds. I need absolute quiet sometimes.

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  4. That is very interesting! I am trying to think, but it will probably take me a while to figure mine out. Such a funny thing you have given me to ponder about myself! I love it, thanks!

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  5. That is very interesting! I've never thought of it. I think I'm a visual person though. I notice when something is out of place. I'll have to pay closer attention now though to see if I favor another sense more.

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