A major question comes into play when you have two people from the opposite sex using the same toilet. This seemingly, rather trivial question, brings about a certain amount of emotion from both male and females in many households. You'll find this question raised many times whether it be on TV or in syndicated advice columns.

It's almost a certainty that unless you have not shared a toilet with the opposite sex or you happen to use a squat toilet as they do in many other countries, you have undoubtedly debated at least to a certain extent whether or not the toilet seat should be down or up. proper etiquette says that the toilet seat and lid should be in the closed position. However, who made up this etiquette? Who really has a right to say whether proper etiquette rules say it should be up or down? It certainly was not God....so I was obviously a man or woman. Each one is biased so what do we do?

I remember reading about how some woman in a certain circumstance managed to find her way to the toilet without the light but not have the wherewithal to check whether or not the toilet seat was down before she planted her rear end. I don't know, maybe it's just some story made up to help promote one or the other sides of this debate. I, of course, believe that the argument for keeping the toilet seat down has more weight. However, if you manage to find the toilet in the pitch black darkness of night, you can do the same for the toilet seat. Don't you think so?

Anyway, let's look at the arguments for both sides.

Well, it's really hard to say what kind of argument men have. I have heard arguments like... the toilet has a seat that is made to go up so it's obviously meant to go up.... I'm a man who resides in a group who happens to be about 50% of the population so I have just as much right to keep the seat up when I leave as the other 50% has the right to keep it down.

With a little searching you can also find a couple of men that have went out of their way to write half serious ...hmmmm maybe fully serious....educational papers had a graduate or doctorate college thesis level. Unfortunatelyfor them, they don't take into account many of the other important components that provide equally important arguments for the other side.... most importantly living peacefully and synergistically with their wife or significant other, a woman. Anyway, if you want to take a look at these papers for a brief laugh, the URLs are listed below. You will likely not really understand too much of what they are saying but you'll soon see the futility of the exercise.

http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/856/1/MPRA_paper_856.pdf

https://www.msu.edu/~choijay/etiquette.pdf

As I see it, the benefits of leaving the seat down far outweigh the benefits of leaving it up. Besides, it simply looks better if the seat stays down when not being used. While we are talking about aesthetics, why not leave the lid down also. That way both males and females will be obligated to shut the toilet. It might be a little extra work for both parties but it's more close to being fair. So let's look at some reasons why it's good to leave the seat down including the lid.

• hygiene of the bathroom could be benefited
  
• it will help to keep the dog from drinking the toilet water..and then later licking you in the face
  
• there will be less of a chance of dropping toiletry items inside
  
• your great aunt has less of a chance of falling in which she visits for the weekend
  
• having both the seat can lid closed helps makes the bathroom look better aesthetically
• there will be less ability for a young kids to throw their toys inside
• having both the seat can lid closed helps makes the bathroom look better aesthetically

Possibly the most important reason for keeping it closed especially when it comes to the man using the toilet is caring for his wife or significant other. Think about it, as a man, do you really love her? If the answer is yes, then why fight against her? You married her to join to people as one....so you are a team on te same side...not opponents.

Yes, you don't want her to take advantage of you but that goes both ways. You should not take advantage of the one you love either. Remember that you both are a team.

Do those small insignificant things that she continually asks you to do like to leave the seat down, take out the garbage, have the toilet paper fall away from the wall, etc. Both of you are sane people working on the same side.

If you do have to dispute something or “fight” about anything, choose your battles wisely. The small stuff like leaving the seat and lid down should not be a means for you both to be on opposite sides. There will be too many other bigger problems to be concerned about without having to start World War III over one of the most tiniest issues of the toilet seat being up or down.

Mark my words, it won't be too long after you continually do the little stuff that she will respond more lovingly towards you. You know what I'm talking about. Have your intimate times been a little sparse? Well this could possibly be the ticket to abundance. Remember, you married each other to be on the same side not on opposite sides especially over some small things like this.

Take a look below at how some people from other countries simply a skirt this issue altogether. Maybe the type of toilet we have good simply prevent any debate from occurring in the first place. Just think of it.... less potential reasons for splitting up, divorce, etc.... a much more peaceful existence for the sexes.

This particular toilet resides in Manila, the Philippines. Sometimes you'll find it fairly difficult in public places to find a toilet with a toilet seat. You simply drop your trousers, turnaround and squat. Be careful now, you don't want to touch the bowl with your butt. It almost takes a native of this and other countries to perfect this particular method of defecation.

Trust me, take some toilet paper with you when traveling in the Philippines.

Here you see another squat toilet however this one looks a little more difficult. If you don't get close enough to the floor, you may miss your target. For you guys, urinating from a full standing position could make things a little messy.

I'm scared to say that some people probably end up sitting on this one because squatting does not seem totally possible if I remember my physics. A quick solution to this problem might be making a toilet seat out of the roll of paper you see at the side...at least they have toilet paper (that something you might not always find in the Philippines) Sometimes you just have to have a little ingenuity to get through daily life in other countries.