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

[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!