Three keys to Understanding the 32 Variations Table
- The role of genetic dominance in determining our brain’s operation and gender.
- The difference between holistic, dualistic, unity, and hybrid systems.
- Information input and output—why some people have two genders.
Genetic Dominance
The system that manages the overall operation of our brain is determined by the forces of genetic dominance, of which there are three types: complete, incomplete, and codominance. To understand how the three types (shown in the first column) affect biological systems, consider their effect on flower color. Cross a red and white flower, and depending on which of three types of genetic dominance is in control, we get one of four results: red flowers, white flowers (both the product of complete dominance), red and white flowers (the product of codominance), or pink flowers (the product of incomplete dominance).
Genetic dominance has a similar effect on the brain’s operation: when genetic complete dominance is in control, the operating systems of the right and left hemisphere completely dominate one another. The two systems can also be genetically integrated. The result is four operating systems: one created by right-brain dominance, another established by left-brain dominance, a third system of operation that uses both the right and left hemispheres working as a team (the product of codominance), and a single integrated system (the result of incomplete dominance). As I will explain, these four systems are responsible for determining our gender.
Holistic and Dualistic systems, and their two integrations, Hybrid and Unity systems
The right hemisphere gives us a holistic perspective. Our holistic right brain gives our mind access to the whole of what we know. This vision of wholeness is commonly referred to as the big picture. Typically, the cooperative and emotional right hemisphere is dominant in women, but whether we are male or female, a dominant right hemisphere will emphasize our feminine characteristics. Therefore, in the table, where perspective is listed as holistic, the gender response will always be listed as feminine.
The left hemisphere gives us a dualistic perspective. This is the perspective that sees the separateness of things. Our dualistic hemisphere gives us the ability to focus in and see the differences in things (e.g., safe or dangerous) and thus to compare and contrast. The name dualistic comes from the fact that the simplest division of a whole is into two parts—which creates duality. Most left-brain-dominants are men, but even if we are female, a competitive, aggressive dominant left brain will emphasize our masculine characteristics. Therefore, in the table where the perspective is listed as dualistic, the gender response will always be shown as masculine.
The majority of us are guided by either a dominant left or dominant right hemisphere. This is why we are so polarized as a culture. But a smaller number of us inherit a system that is a genetic integration of our holistic and dualistic hemispheres. This integration can be accomplished in two ways. One is to use a team system, listed in the table as a unity system (the product of codominance). We can also inherit a single integrated system, a hybrid system (the product of incomplete dominance). Because a unity perspective uses a team of perspectives, if we inherit a unity system, our masculine half will be attracted to females and our feminine half will be attracted to males, creating a bisexual response. A hybrid brain-operating system uses an integration of right and left systems and therefore conveys a blend of feminine and masculine characteristics. I have selected polysexual to describe the response of hybrid systems since this is a new concept and there is no widely-accepted term for this fluid condition.
Input and output: the reason it is possible for a person to have two genders
Notice the row of boxes running across top of the table. They refer to the processes whereby sensory information is input into the brain, then subsequently output. The two processes have different missions. Input is focused on the self, whereas output is more concerned with the external world. And here’s why this is important. It tells us that any one of four operating systems—holistic, dualistic, unity, or hybrid—can gather incoming information for us, give us its perspective, and suggest a default internal response. And any one of the four can take that input information and review it (a function of perspective) with the intention of creating an external response. So, for example, your internal perspective and response might suggest that someone is a liar, while your external perspective suggests that it looks like it is in your best interest to respond externally by telling the individual that you believe him or her.
How does having two processing requirements—one for input and one for output—and four different operating systems to fulfill those requirements affect our concept of gender? It’s simple. Gender reflects a harmonious group of behaviors. These behaviors have their roots in behaviors that stem from one of the four operating systems. In cases where input and output are genetically predisposed to use different operating systems rather than the same one, this means that two different genders are in play. For example, subject to a toss of the genetic dice the operating system responsible for processing our incoming sensations might be feminine, whereas the system responsible for guiding our sensory output might exhibit masculine characteristics. This particular combination is common to many right-handed women (right-handedness, an output, is generally associated with left-brain dominance—i.e. masculine dominance). You can find this particular gender combination in the second row of the table in the far-right column. Keep in mind that operating-systems dominance and their gender distinctions can range from strong to extremely subtle; therefore, a woman might possess this combination, yet fail to recognize her masculine aspect since it is so weak that it is not readily apparent.
With one of four operating systems capable of processing input and one of four capable of processing output, there are sixteen different ways in which the human brain can process information. And since each of the four basic operating systems embodies its own unique gender characteristics, this creates sixteen possible gender combinations for males and sixteen for females, resulting in 32 possible sexual-orientation variations.