Earlier that day, I had been shown the same pictures and asked the same question. My answer had been different. I didn’t think in terms of categories or definitions.
Instead, I talked about meals, gardens, and family dinners—how these foods appeared together in soups and home-cooked dishes. To me, the images weren’t just items in a group; they were part of a familiar story shaped by memory and experience.
What followed wasn’t a lecture or a concern, but a conversation about how people think differently. The psychologist explained that some minds naturally organize information by labels, while others connect ideas through feelings, images, or narratives.
Neither approach is wrong. In fact, these differences often reflect creativity, empathy, and the ability to see connections others might overlook. My mom listened carefully, realizing that intelligence isn’t one-size-fits-all and that unique ways of thinking can be strengths, not shortcomings.
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