The Truth About the Toilet Seat Debate
Picture this: you meet a great guy. You’re ready to take things to the next level, and when he invites you to come over, you say yes. You’re so excited that you have to use the toilet straight away. So, you ask for directions, but then you see it: the toilet seat is up. It’s nowhere near as severe as abusive behaviour or discovering he’s married, yet something doesn’t feel quite right.
If you like browsing Reddit as much as I do, you’ve probably already come across the oldest debate. Should men should be allowed to leave the toilet seat up whenever they finish doing their business? And if you have as many years of dating experience as I do, I’m sure you’ve gone out with men who had that annoying habit.
What Is the Toilet Seat Debate About?
To justify the habit, men point out that women sit down whenever they go to the toilet. Expecting men to put the seat down would mean they have to make more effort, and this just isn’t equal. Some even go as far as saying that asking men to change their habits sends the wrong message. In fact, this could mean that women can’t get their hands dirty and is sexist as a result. Others claim it’s a number game. Each household should count how many times a man and a woman need to have the seat down. Then, they should adjust the rules accordingly.
Let’s ignore how ridiculous it is to complain about something that takes a moment to do and consider these arguments. The reality is that men can choose whether to sit down or stand up while peeing. While the latter seems to be the only acceptable option to many, in some East Asian countries, sitting down is now more common because heating and cleaning features make it more comfortable. But just because we aren’t there yet doesn’t mean the habit of leaving the seat up should be acceptable.
Interestingly, according to studies, when men sit down to pee their bladders empty faster and more completely. But most prefer to stick to their habit regardless of what science says. Even some women say it’s not considerate to expect this much of men if it takes 2 seconds to change the position of the seat. Why does it have to be so serious?
It Is a Matter of Basic Hygiene
However, in the end, the expectation of putting the seat down isn’t about perpetuating inequality. It all boils down to hygiene. We should all forget about the toilet seat and remember to close the lid every time we flush.
When you flush with an open lid, the germs will spread around the toilet and land on the nearest items, including your toothbrush and towels. If you want the visual, plenty of YouTube videos show you what happens when you’re too lazy to close the lid. After all, it’s there for a reason. Plus, it simply doesn’t look pleasant. When I want to use the toilet to wash my hands or fix my makeup, I’d rather not have to come across an open toilet bowl.
Leaving both the seat up and the lid up is simply bad etiquette. As one Redditor commented, “My mother said it this way. The lid is a horizontal door. We don’t leave cabinet doors hanging open because it’s untidy, and the contents don’t always please the eye. The same reasoning applies to the toilet.”
It’s all about manners. Unfortunately, not everyone has been taught to close the lid before flushing and bad habits take time to change. But if a partner argues that he has the right to leave the seat up for whatever reason when asked to correct his behaviour, it’s one of the red flags I’d say you should never ignore.
