women should run the stock market
Oct. 18th, 2008 07:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miriam_eAnybody 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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 09:46 am (UTC)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!