women should run the stock market

[miriam_e]

Anybody hear the Science Show today?
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/default.htm
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/ssw_20081018.mp3

There were a lot of interesting segments, but the final one really caught my attention.
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/ssw_20081018_1252.mp3

Researchers have been analysing the behavior and homonal balance of stock market traders. It seems the old boys network is seriously damaging capitalism, as many of us have long suspected, but the mode of damage is really interesting.

When they compete on the trading floor men act the same way males in many other social species do -- competition raises their testosterone levels. This beefs them up and makes them indulge in more risky behavior. This is a vicious cycle where testosterone levels and risky behavior spiral upward out of control, till they are making completely stupid decisions because they are utterly unable to see with any kind of perspective. When the inevitable crash comes testosterone levels drop and cortisone levels rise, which alters their behavior again, making them more scared and cautious, but now out of synch with reality in the opposite direction, considerably worsening the effects of a financial crash.

There is no way to stop this. It is how males have evolved to act back in the day when it seemed to be a good idea to beat your opponent with a rock when he competed with you.

Women don't appear to be affected by this competition the same way. It makes sense that women should run the stock market and probably other financial institutions if we are to survive these crashes. Eunuchs and male-to-female transexuals would be safe too, I imagine.

Comments

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Damn. You know I wonder about these things. I mean, I like men fine and I don't wanta go patronizing them and saying they can't handle things like this but.... well whatever, it's not like I can change that they do.
I work with an all male crew, and I have to say the way they compete with each other kinda regularly stuns me. I keep thinking I bet they look far more intelligent when they're at home. Obviously different men handle it differently, some better than others but the overall dynamic is kinda spooky.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Most of my friends are male, but the dynamic in groups of them can make frankly crazy... there is no gentler word for it.

I'm sure women in groups act in harebrained ways too, but they don't seem to be prone to the nutty escalation of risk-taking followed by unrealistic panic and doom that men competing in groups display. One of the problems with these testosterone-related changes in males is that they continue to affect male behavior even away from the competitive environment, just so long as they are regularly exposed to the male competition.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

I've worked in large groups of women, and yes there can be weirdness there but you're right, it's certainly not the same kind and doesn't seem to affect their risk taking behavior generally.

We all got the ego thing and as long as we think we have to measure up, compete, be something we're not, ect, we'll act in ways that aren't beneficial to anyone. The lighter we wear that the happier we all are. So in a way it just seems to me like a human evolution thing. Some men are gonna be content to channel their competitive thing into being more conscious and balanced rather than less. And perhaps they will be the men that end up leading the pack. I can hope. :)

The men at my work appear to be overwhelmingly hetero. I haven't asked of course but it seems obvious to me. Most of them are married, certainly more than I'd think the general population is and most seem to have kids. "Family Life" seems pretty important to em. Though I get the feeling they often think that what they have to contribute to it is mostly money. Certainly my partner confirms that men are taught this is the case and to be a "good man" is really to be a money provider. He's questioned that programming but not all men have. A lot of these men spend a lot of time doing overtime even though it's not required.
It's kinda sad.
But anyhoo, my point is when these men are not at work their significant others are women and children. I can hope that this has a balancing effect on them.
I can and do.

Quite honestly I'd love to have more gay and bi men at my work. :)
But it is the way it is.
And I have noticed they certainly value female company.
And why wouldn't they, eh, especially with the way they often act towards each other, home must be so much nicer.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

"Family Life" seems pretty important to em.

That is a really interesting point. I heard the results of some research into people's values recently. The thing that came out as overwhelmingly important in their lives was their family. I have to point out that is not the same thing as so-called "family values" as touted by certain sections of society. Many of the people counted as family in the survey would have undoubtedly been gay partners (a little over a tenth of the population is gay).

The perceived requirement that men have to be good providers must be a terrible burden. I think the dehumanising pressure this puts men under is not fully recognised.

I have noticed they certainly value female company

I've read of research on the effect in workplaces when women are included in all levels. It seems to balance out and undo some of the worst results of all-male workplaces.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Yah, I'm glad to do my part to bring some of that female energy into my workplace. :)
And I'm looking forward to more women in my workplace. I don't know when, but it's likely to happen eventually. Hopefully sooner.

And yup to the rest too.

Don't worry, I'm completely clear on the difference tween "family values" and valuing family. Very different things.

Also with the men and their dehumanizing programming... It's funny after all these years, being what appears to be unusually comfortable with men, I'm feeling like I'm beginning to see inside what it must be like to be a man, in ways I never have before. I'm not sure what triggered this seeing but I'm sure glad it's there. I'd rather be a more compassionate human being. :)

[amberite2112.livejournal.com]

what about female-to-male transexuals? we were raised with "female training" and i know i still have a lot of those values.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about that too. I didn't mention that group because I wasn't sure, but further thinking makes me feel female-to-male transexuals might be safe from these effects because they're able to regulate their testosterone. Males who are born male have no such ability, and in competitive environments their testosterone levels spiral out of control, affecting their decision-making processes.

There is another possibility though. I know that testosterone is also produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. If this is the source of the stress spiral then f2m trannies would need to be alert to changes. They still have an advantage on genetic males though, because they can do something about it. Perhaps the adrenal glands are not the source of the excess testosterone though. From what I understand, competition among women doesn't produce spiralling levels of testosterone, yet they still have perfectly normal adrenal glands. My bet is that the testicles are the culprits, and f2m trannies' lack of those may well make them immune to this insanity, while having all the advantages of testosterone, like more energy and strength, a drive to adventure, and so on.

[hestia.livejournal.com]

MTF would have to be strict about taking their hormones every day and be certain that they'd not have to face any shortages, which is not something they can count on especially in the USA.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Hormonal shortage wouldn't power the kind of mismatch between perception and reality that was discovered by the researcher in the talk above. It would bring other problems, yes, but spiralling ever more risky behavior wouldn't be one of them.

From what little I've read on the subject, shortage of testosterone can produce more easy-going, less driven people, though this can lead a person being paradoxically more accomplished. For example, a friend recently told me of Narses, a court eunuch in the Byzantine Empire during the 6th cent A.D. He rose through the administration to become Grand Chamberlain and a trusted advisor to the Emperor. Then, when he was well into his seventies and looking at a comfortable retirement, he was sent by the Emperor as Supreme Commander of Imperial forces to drive the Goths out of Italy. Which he did! He then defeated attempted invasions of the Franks and lived as the Imperial Regent of Italy for the next 12 years!

[hestia.livejournal.com]

This may get me hated but I'm too old to care now. Women are scary with the competition between each other too. Instead of trying to outdo each other in some activity they'll attack one another either directly or behind each other's backs. Why? To disable the competition for male attention through lowering the other woman's self esteem or to be seen as championing the male POV in a way that paints her as some horrible castrating harridan/dyke/crazy bitch.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Actually, I totally agree. I've had terrible experiences in attempting to organise a conference some time back and being relentlessly attacked by some of the women involved. Often I was the last to know that I was being attacked because it was, as you note, done largely behind my back. I was utterly bewildered, naive clod that I am.

Women are certainly not angels, but they do seem to be immune to the particular detachment from reality that powers the crazy swings in financial arenas. It might take time for the problems of femininity to show themselves there, but I can't help feeling the feminine hormonal system might be a better fit than the masculine.