Humans are tribal. It’s instinctual. Just like the Mayans engaged in continual wars from the sixth to the ninth centuries, Dallas Cowboys fans battle Philadelphia Eagles fans over a sport that both groups apparently enjoy enormously. Then there are numerous studies indicating that there were over 213 civil wars between 1816 and 1997. The number varies by source, but it is definitely over 200.
Clearly, we can’t help ourselves.
Now, on a more personal and, some would say, trivial basis, there are two types of people in the world relating to the toilet paper roll. Over (Forward): The loose end of the paper hangs over the front of the roll, away from the wall. Under (Backward): The loose end of the paper hangs down behind the roll, between the roll and the wall.
According to Cottonelle, roughly 50% of the population says they pay attention to toilet paper orientation, and 20% say they get agitated if it's oriented the “wrong” way. 19% of people admitted to changing the orientation of toilet paper in someone else’s house.
Who is Cottonelle to weigh in on toilet paper issues? Cottonelle is owned by Kimberly-Clark and makes the Scott and Cottonelle TP brands. The largest maker of TP in the U.S. is Procter &Gamble, with its Charmin brand holding the highest brand recognition and sales volume. Boomers still walk around grocery aisles giggling, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin.” Millennials and Gen Zers, look it up on Instagram.
Back to the toilet paper: according to most studies, gender does not play a role in how you orient it. However, men report higher levels of agitation when the orientation doesn’t match their preference. Some think that how we mount our toilet paper says something about our personality.
Dr. Gilda Carle is a consultant for Cottonelle® Brand Toilet Paper and has devised a toilet paper personality test that links paper preference to personality types. Before we get to the test results, I have to ask: how can I get a job as a TP consultant?
What does hanging “over” say about you? Generally, Dr. Carle says that people who utilize the “over” technique are more likely to have a dominant personality type.
What does hanging “under” say about you? If you hang “under,” you’re more likely to have an easy-going nature, according to Dr. Carle.
What to do in a divided household? Dr. Carle is all about compromise. She advises: “That’s fine if only one person in your household has a passion for toilet paper hanging, but what if you have two people with opposing views? In that case, we recommend switching the toilet paper when it’s your turn to use the bathroom. When you finish, you can switch the toilet paper to the opposite orientation for the next person.”
Dr. Ken Grayson, a New Jersey psychologist, notes that toilet paper roll practices mirror the numerous other stylistic differences between relationship partners, whether they be college roommates, roommates, or romantic partners.
“Neat, messy. On time, always late. Sleep with the TV on, hell no!” says Grayson. “These lifestyle differences are often disrupters when people start living together.”
Grayson goes on to explain that sometimes these seemingly petty differences are the undercurrent for control in a relationship.
“I had a male patient who explained that his wife took control of their home — how it was decorated, where everything from the cutlery to the holiday decorations went. In the garage, he had a workbench and would tinker in there. He just wanted a sense of control over his workbench area, with his tools hung on a pegboard and the workbench scattered with them. Even though she agreed, he soon found that she had rearranged his workbench area and began to rearrange the entire area.”
Grayson says a battle over the orientation of the toilet paper roll isn’t generally about the roll.
“It’s about control in a relationship,” Grayson insists. “Let me put this in psychology speak. Control in a relationship is often prioritized by one or both partners as a subconscious coping mechanism to manage deep-seated anxiety, fear of abandonment, or trauma. While it offers a false sense of security and stability, this desire for control frequently stems from past instability rather than genuine love, often eroding trust and intimacy.”
It’s possible that Dr. Carle, TP consultant for Cottonelle, is on to something. If you’re an OVER, maybe let your partner be an UNDER. Or better yet, you can compromise. After all, 91% of Americans live in a structure with at least two bathrooms. Designate one bathroom for OVER, and the other for UNDER.
The question is: Which bathroom? I’m not getting into that conflict. You two work it out.
