How you hang toilet paper: what it says about your character

A toilet paper roll can be hung with the end facing out or against the wall – and according to some surveys, this may hint at personality traits. Experts warn, though, that the findings should be taken with a pinch of humor.

There are debates on which humanity will probably never agree: pineapple on pizza, Android or iPhone – and, of course, how to hang toilet paper properly. Some insist on the end hanging out, others tuck it against the wall. At first glance it is a trifle, but some specialists believe such a detail may reveal something about how a person makes decisions, about orderliness and about control over their surroundings.

What a survey of 2,000 people showed

According to a survey by Gilda Carle involving 2,000 people, those who hang the roll with the end out are more competitive, results-driven, like to keep everything under control and are more self-confident. “Self-confident people more often take leadership positions and tend to take the initiative,” Carle says.

Those who prefer to hang the paper against the wall are more adaptable, calmer and less inclined to dominate. And those who do not care how the roll hangs dislike conflict, value flexibility and look for new experiences.

The link with income

Another survey that also took respondents’ income into account produced similar results. People with higher incomes more often chose the “end out” option, while those with lower incomes chose the opposite.

However, the conclusions come with a caveat. It is amusing, but it does not prove that the way you hang toilet paper determines future success. Surveys show only a correlation, not a cause: even if there is a connection between personality type and the position of the roll, turning the roll around will not improve your chances of a promotion or a raise. Education, family, opportunities at work, intelligence, social skills and plain luck also affect success.

What the inventor had in mind

Curiously, according to an 1891 patent registered by the American inventor Seth Wheeler, toilet paper was originally meant to hang with the end out. Most people prefer this method today as well.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz