People in the comments section are insisting that masculine behaviors are caused by testosterone and nothing else. I dislike these theories because they all deprive humans of agency. Why do I do anything I do in life? Muh genes. Do I have any sort of agency to decide to go against the way my genes are forcing me to behave? Of course not. I am a gene-programmed automaton with no free will or agency. I’m incapable of defying my genes! To do that would mean I have free will and agency, and of course I lack both of those.
This same sort of deterministic bull is at play with Masculinity Theory. Who do I and so many other men act masculine? Muh high testosterone and muh low estrogen. You mean it’s not because I was programmed and molded that way hundreds of thousands of times since boyhood all the way through adulthood? Haven’t I acted anywhere from soft to masculine at various times in my life through sheer will and agency, as in I just decided to act that way? Of course not! When I was soft, it was muh low testosterone. When I act more masculine, obviously it’s muh high testosterone.
According to this theory, testosterone declines from the 20’s on and reaches low levels in the 50’s on. So one would expect men to become less and less masculine in their stereotypical behaviors as they age. We should have a bunch of pussy middle aged and older men walking around. But wait. Those older guys are the most masculine men of all nowadays. How could that be with muh low testosterone? And I get continuous reports of how young men, especially college-aged men, today are severely wussed out and hardly act like men at all anymore. Not to mention the metrosexual explosion. But how could this be as young men have muh high testosterone?
Whoa! Theory in danger!
Let’s try some more. Let’s look at gay men. Clearly the most unmasculine men of all in their stereotypical behaviors as is obvious to anyone. 75% of gay men more or less act like women. That’s the polar opposite of masculinity. Why do gay men act so feminine? Obviously muh low testosterone and muh high estrogen, right?
Gong! Wrong answer!
Gay men’s testosterone and estrogen levels are exactly the same as straight men’s.
Whoa. Theory in danger!
Well, why do women act feminine? Obviously muh high estrogen and muh low testosterone, right? Are we sure about that?
Let’s take a look at lesbians, 75% of whom act like men, some almost to the point of almost being truck drivers or construction workers. Bull dykes are as masculine as a macho guy. Well obviously lesbians have muh low estrogen and muh high testosterone, just like men, right? I mean that’s logical, no?
Gong! Wrong answer!
Lesbians hormone levels of testosterone and estrogen are exactly the same as straight women’s.
Whoa! Theory in danger!