Did you hear about the European study showing that pregnancy altars a woman’s mind for at least two years? No, not making her crazy, as you might expect.
“The results showed a clear distinction between the first-time mothers and all the other participants – including the new fathers – with a reduction in the mothers’ grey matter volume in the medial frontal and posterior cortex, in addition to the prefrontal and temporal cortex.
“As the researchers explain, these regions of the brain are all involved with social processes such as feelings of empathy and the ability to understand others – what is sometimes referred to as the ‘theory of mind‘.” (Science Alert article)
The “theory of mind” is a philosophical and psychological term relating to a person’s being able to understand other people’s emotions and mental state, recognizing that each individual is unique in their outlooks, perspectives, and motives. It’s how we recognize others as human beings and learn to get along with them.
Follow my logic here: It’s mostly men who run the world as heads of state and military organizations. If they experienced pregnancy every two years, could world peace be within our grasp?