Why are guys so violent/filled with testosterone?

[Anonymous]

Girls would very rarely fight other girls.. unless it was self-defense. We just aren't violent, and don't like to pick fights.

But, at my school there are always fights between boys. 3 guys in my class came to school today with black eyes from getting punched in the face.

wtf? Why are men generally the more violent gender? And why so much testosterone? Maybe It's because they're 16?

no, I'm not a feminist or sexist.. I just want to know

[OpenClose]

This is actually a really good question, and much larger than you probably realize.

Testosterone is responsible for the vast majority of physical male features, including extra hair, broader shoulders, and larger muscle mass. It has been found that, while testosterone causes aggression, the brain can mostly adapt to this difference. In transsexual men, for instance, they often have unexpected intense libidos and disturbing violent thoughts for the first couple years on testosterone, but this effect often fades with time.

Therefore, it is irresponsible to say that violence comes down to testosterone. Many testosterone-pumped men are complete teddy bears.

One of the major issues is in how we are raised. Girls are told they should never deserve violence in any form. Not a bad thing to say. Boys are told to defend themselves, also OK, but it's on the basis that we WILL face violence and we MUST win. Many boys are also taught that they will be attacked and therefore must attack FIRST.

But let's rewind even farther. Everyone is female by default, until the Y chromosome takes hold and makes the necessary changes. This means girls are already 9 months settled into their bodies, while boys are born during a transition into being male. During this period, a part of brain called the Corpus Callosum is in a fairly nimble state. It is responsible for hemispheres of the brain communicating with one another. When it is faulty, emotions become difficult to express, and it boys, it's particularly frail. Boys were found to be more damaged by trauma. I'll see if I can find the article.

NOW, take this and remember that when a girl falls down, we generally coddle her and show her our love. For boys, we generally tell them to shut up and get over it. This is an attitude that carries much later into life as well.

[OpenClose]

90% of the homeless, for instance, are male, and nearly half of domestic violence is against men. Yet we treat poverty as primarily a women's issue in many cases, and male victims of domestic violence are usually referred to "violent males" groups, on the assumption that they were the abusers. There are almost no DV shelters that accept men, and women like Erin Pizzey, who tried to include men in her shelters, received death threats and bricks thrown in her house.

Peter Marin, who studies homelessness, has a great quote about the issue:
"To put it simply: men are neither supposed nor allowed to be dependent. They are expected to take care of others and themselves. And when they cannot or will not do it, then the assumption at the heart of the culture is that they are somehow less than men and therefore unworthy of help. An irony asserts itself: by being in need of help, men forfeit the right to it." Peter Marin, "Jill Gets Welfare. Jack becomes homeless."

[OpenClose]

Now, compare what happens when you feel help is available, and that you are "allowed" to be the victim. In these cases, people are more vocal about their problems, and others are more willing to help. It has a better chance to vent before turning into aggression.

Men are essentially not allowed to be "victims" because we are often considered solely responsible for our lot in life. Homeless? "Should have gotten a job, hobo." My wife hit you with a crowbar. "Maybe you shouldn't have pissed her off."

Many may argue that victim blaming is a women's issue, note that it's done most often by men. Most of the time, they are applying the logic on which they were raised.

[imbittered_punk]

We're men, we evolved to be bigger, stronger and more aggressive than women. At that sort of age it's actually pretty healthy to be fighting amongst ones peers. Better to get it all out and let the fire temper a boy into a man than bottle it all up and what not.

[Asker]

I mean can't they just punch something else? Why each other? I feel so bad when I see a guy with a black eye. I feel sorry for them.. it looks so damn painful :/

[imbittered_punk]

Because then we wouldn't know who the best fight is. At a base, reptilian brain level we need to know. We need to strive to be the alpha of the pack, modern society has pretty much put an end to that.

Plus punching a bag or a wall is no where near as satisfying as pulping and opponents face. Yeah it's painful, but we're not made out of glass and a little bit of pain never hurt anybody.

[Azara]

Bc they are taught it's ok. Girls who are raised to solve problems through violence are no less violent. It's just socially frowned upon fir women to resort to violence. Men are rewarded for it. Not by everyone if course but by enough people to make it worth their while.

Testosterone doesn't cause violence. Violence is a decision. You gave a choice to be violent or use your energy for something else.

Women are fused with plenty if hormones that could all cause violence if violence was simply a matter if hormonal influence.
The reason in your school boys fight and girls don't us bc the boys get positive feedback girks would get negative. Plenty if women date or fuck guys who fight. Few Gus would do the same.

Women are slated as being out of control or emotional just by existing. If they fight it just goes towards pre existing stereotypes making it that much harder to be taken seriously. With guys fighting is just boys will be boys and often it looks as if as long as they dont kill anyone no one cares.

Boys are not violent bc if testosterone. They are violent bc they are taught it's cool and they are not taught healthy ways of conflict resolution. Rational modes if communication are looked down upon as being weak instead of promited as being efficient practical peaceable and humane.

[AllThatSweetJazz]

Guys aren't taught violence is ok, not where I'm from anyway. We are hardly rewarded for it and it's hardly more acceptable to males to use violence than females. Most guys handle conflict resolution just fine. For me, violence is largely a choice, a choice I don't make and have never made except for a TV/monitor. But it does have an certain attractive simplicity to it, sublimating violent anger is a hard thing to do. You can't just do something else, like man I'm so mad right now I'm going to read the shit out of this book. Anyways, I don't relate to this whole "boys are taught that it's ok" dealio.

[Hannah591]

Guys are filled with testosterone because they're male. Women have testosterone too but Oestrogen outweighs it. If you studied biology/psychology, you'd know the answer to this already. At the most basic (I'm going back like a thousand years), men were the hunters and protectors, women were the carers and mothers and hormones pretty much determined that. Women are less likely to pick fights because of their caring attitude, but they would definitely fight if they had to protect their children which is where testosterone comes in handy, we wouldn't even be able to maintain muscle/bone mass without it (www.yourtango.com/.../7-reasons-women-need-testosterone Men are more protective because they had to protect their families and their own woman from other men. The testosterone just heightens all of this, think about what adrenaline does to you and that's kind of testosterones purpose in men and it makes them think differently when it's heightened. However, women can be just as or more aggressive than some men and they can be just as or more caring than a woman.

[Anonymous]

Nature made them that way.

by the way, I've seen a TON of female fights, too. Violence is something all humans have the capacity for.

[Asker]

I've never seen a girl fight another girl physically just for the competition of it. Girls are more verbal when they fight

[Opinion Owner]

Not the girls I've been around!! (I'm from a white trash area, though) :P. I've been punched in the face by another female three times!!

[AllThatSweetJazz]

Guys have ~10x more testosterone in their bodies because that's just how our bodies work. Biology.

I've never even thought about hitting someone in anger, I've only punched a TV. Many of us feel the desire to get violent when we get angry. Anger gives one the determination to overcome challenges, it would allow us to challenge the alpha male or to overcome our enemies/obstacles. Violent anger served a purpose once upon a time. No one teaches us that it's ok to use violence in modern society, if anything we are demonized.

We have a competitive instinct. By that instinct, we test ourselves against each other (violently on occasion), against nature and against ourselves. I wouldn't say I'm violent, I've only been in a couple of fights and there were in self-defense, I'm not a beast. I never do it but I like the idea of roughhousing with people, it's just me being playful. Most guys I know like games and e-sports for the competition, but some lads can apparently satisfy their competitive instincts vicariously through watching physical sports. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BCRanger10]

By nature, guys have generally higher levels of testosterone. Add that to adolescent raging hormones and the fact that the logical-thought area of the brain still isn't fully developed at that point, and you get three dudes with black eyes. Chances are they'll be laughing about it with each other in a week.

Testosterone doesn't make us "more violent". It makes us more aggressive, but not necessarily more violent. This is why some professions are populated primarily, and in some cases exclusively by men, i. e., law enforcement, the military, construction, professional sports, etc.

Why is there so much testosterone? Because we're born with it.

[ILoveLadies]

They're at an age when they feel like they have to price themselves. But they're at an age when they don't know how to price their masculinity without a fight. Most of them will grow out of it. It's not just the testosterone, it's the peer pressure and societal pressures that they misread.

[M_A_X]

Guys have testicles which produce testosterone.

Guys are more open about it, but women are the opposite. They'll just talk a bunch of crap behind the back of the girl they don't like, and play underhanded games.

I honestly prefer our way, because at least you know where you stand with somebody

[DREWSKI1]

That's a good question I think were just naturally violent. maybe because were so competitive and we all want to be the most dominant I don't know I could be way off Im a boxer and I love to fight so I guess that's kinda bias but at my school girls fights are more intense like they try to kill each other cx but I live in San Bernardino so maybe that's why

[matheus_mb]

Yeah, men are more violent and it's sure because of testosterone. Some are just much more violent than others. I try not to get into fights and actually I never had. But yeah, we're more violent and it's just normal, a hormonal thing.

[RationalMale]

It's biology. You girls snub each other and give underhand comments, because you're women and biologically programmed to avoid open conflict, lest you lose.

We men are stronger, dominance is in our genes. We fight it out in the open.

[Anonymous]

Generally I see men as people with more tolerance and women as people who can't hold much in. Hence why men fight because that tension is built up and released like a bomb. Women seem to let that tension out through verbal anger.

[Durty]

No some dummies are full of Pride. I think too much pride will make your dick shrink.

[Anonymous]

Men have 2000% more testosterone than women, men are more violent but we can take it lightly as well, as in if women physically fight they will probably hate each other forever, guys can be best friends again the next day after hitting each other.

[loveskittens]

If I feel like I'm in danger I wouldn't hesitate to defend myself. You're probably right about the testosterone, I think it's just natural.

[Jamalbeblazen_420]

Cause it's how we are.. Just like girls like to go around suckin dick

[Asker]

actually, it's *sluts* who go around sucking dick.. not all girls thank u very much

[Jamalbeblazen_420]

But you can say that all guys are violent? Ironic.. Lol

[Asker]

"Why are men GENERALLY the more violent gender?"

I don't think u read my question...

[Jamalbeblazen_420]

Not what it said on the question title ;)

[Asker]

that's because you decided to only read the title

[jakeofalltrades]

That's because guy are more direct then girls are, if 2 guy have a problem they fight it out and move on, but girl will just be passive aggressive and trash talk each other for the rest of their lives

[Redstang88]

Same reason women are moody and emotional- different hormones.

[Anonymous]

Lol don't pretend like you don't enjoy seeing men fighting each other. A lot of times, women instigate it just so they can watch.

[Asker]

nope. I saw 2 of my guy friends fighting each other over a girl, and I yelled at them to stop, and tried my best to pull one of them off of the other one, even though I'm not as strong..

[Strider90]

I always loved as a teenager to fight with my friends. It was awesome. Punching, kicking, wrestling, you name it. Good old times.

[Anonymous]

Because man have testosterone and female have estrogen, we're almost different species metaphorically speaking and surely you have never gotten into a cat fight, the girls claw like Bitches!!!

[Klaatu51]

because guys have higher testo levels perhaps?

[Anonymous]

At my school it was basically just girls who fought

[Ihav2fart]

It's natural, sometimes we can't help it.