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Did you think that you chose a car because you thought it looked nice, or because it had the type of speed and power you are interested in? Or did you think that because you are a woman, you didn’t care about the car but only care about the colour? If so, you are wrong. The car you have chosen says a whole lot about you, perhaps more than you would like! A recent study among psychiatrists noted that they were quick to judge someone’s mental state by the car they drive. No, this isn’t used to make any type of official diagnosis, but it is interesting that psychiatrists across the world seem to agree on what a car says about personality.
Creative Commons Photo by Kenjonbro
A Psychiatrist’s Opinion on Your Car
Let’s start by making it very clear that a favourite car among psychiatrists is a Mercedes convertible. Preferably in white. Make of that what you want. But how do they judge your choice of car? Let’s take a look at some themes that came forward in a recent study:
- People who drive a Morris Minor are clinically depressed
- Businessmen with an E-type Jaguar tend to have problems with sexual performance, including full impotence
- People who drive a Volvo are said to be paranoid and believe that all other drivers are actually out to get them
- Ford Transit Vans are the vehicle of choice for psychopathic killers
- Those who do not believe a car says anything about dormant (or not dormant) psychological problems only say this to excuse the reason why they are unable to afford a Mercedes themselves
Is There Any Truth in This?
So is there any truth in these opinions, bar the fact that psychiatrists across the world seem to agree on this? In fact, it seems there is. Our society is obsessed with image and a car is a very important part of our image. Take note of the next car advertisement that is shown on television. What is the image that is portrayed? Do they ever show a haggled soccer mum or an overweight businessman in a hurry? No, car advertisements show people with not a care in the world, but clearly all the money in the world. They show us people that we are almost made to identify with. That is who we want to be like, hence we must have that car.
Creative Commons Photo by Anssi Koskinen
The Difference between Men and Women
Research has actually shown that if a car is purchased by a couple, the woman actually generally decides the make and colour of the car and she thinks about the practicality of said vehicle. Men are obsessed with numbers. They want the car with the biggest performance (the amount of litres injection is generally printed on the vehicles) and they want to know about how quick it goes from 0-60 (they can then boast about this to their friends). The old joke that a car is an extension of a man’s undercarriage, however, isn’t true. It is actually believed that men score higher on the autism scale and simply identify with numbers.
Next time you think about your next CarRentals, think about which car you are choosing and why. Are you identifying with numbers, being practical or simply showing signs of certain psychological problems?
