Growing up as a twin, there have been many questions that people have asked that are just not true. If you are a twin, either identical or fraternal, you have definitely heard one of these.
Are you identical twins?
This is probably the most asked question that I have gotten. When people first find out that my brother and I are twins, the first question that blurts out of their mouth is if we are identical. We always just look at each other and laugh because he's a boy and I'm a girl. I hate to break it to you but there's no way for us to be identical twins if we aren't the same gender. This has always been the question that confuses me the most.
Can you feel each other's pain?
Contrary to popular belief, no, we cannot feel each other's pain. As children, my twin and I always tried to test this belief by hitting each other, but I think mostly we just wanted to fight. Especially when my brother had broken his collarbone in the fifth grade, other students would always come up to me to ask if I could feel his collarbone, and the answer was always no.
Which one of you is the devil and which one is the saint?
This question is actually really detrimental when associating one twin with goodness and the other with badness. When you're growing up and you're constantly being told you are the bad twin, this can lead to very negative consequences. Also, this question is untrue. Just like everyone else, twins have both sides where they do good deeds and bad deeds. Twins are not different from other humans, they're just like everyone else.
Can you read each other's mind?
I always wished that this one was true when I was younger because I wanted to communicate with my twin without anyone knowing, but sadly it is untrue. Twins are just like any other siblings that you would have, you were just in the womb (ew) at the same time. People would always try to test this theory by having my twin tell them a number and then having me guess it, but I was wrong every time because I cannot read his mind.
Are you always together?
Twins are individual people. Even though many of them are best friends and spend a lot of time together, it does not mean that they have to be with each other all the time. Being constantly grouped together can be really tiring because you constantly have to prove that you are your own person and each twin has differing strengths and weaknesses. Not every twin is the same!
Do you like a lot of the same things?
Even though my twin and I may share some things that we both like, we do not agree on everything. For example, I love tomatoes and I can always eat them, but in contrast, my twin absolutely despises them. We do not share every similarity in what we like since we have grew up making our own opinions and learned to individualize ourselves.
Is there more competition within twins or with other siblings?
Many people believe that there may be more competition between twins than there are with other siblings, but based on my family, I think there is more competition with other siblings. I think this would be the case if twins were the only children. However, I have three other siblings so it opens up competition with everyone. So yes, there are times where I am competitive with my twin, but it is not more than any other sibling.
Some of these questions may be different with other sets of twins, this is only based on my experiences. Many people will say that they wish that they had a twin, but it is not different than having any other sibling. Instead of wishing you had a different life, try to do something that will make you happier because you are unique in your own way.
