Everything We Think We Know About Testosterone is (Mostly) Wrong
The surprising way testosterone actually relates to “masculinity”
You were probably taught that testosterone is responsible for characteristics commonly associated with masculinity. Supposedly, testosterone makes men assertive and competitive. It’s why they seek out social status and pursue multiple sexual partners. It’s the reason men prioritize acquiring material wealth. And it’s why they’re driven to defend their homesteads.
Yes, testosterone often gets the credit for a father’s inclination to protect his spouse and offspring. But the custodial instinct has nothing to do with nurturing or caring, since those qualities are usually imagined to be the exclusive domain of feminine estrogen. Instead, testosterone makes Dad the family’s guardian because, allegedly, the hormone chemically catalyzes aggressive, hostile, and selfish instincts. In this fairy tale, the women and children are presumed to be his property; and like a lion with his pride, Dad is motivated to fortify and secure his personal territory.
Almost all the most common beliefs about testosterone are either outright wrong or, at best, greatly exaggerated.
