Op-Ed: When women are bad, it's a male thing

A new study seems to suggest that some women's aggressive behavior is actually men’s fault, or at least the fault of the most defining hormone of the male species.

Wicked women have long been portrayed as overbearing bosses– heartless women who will step on fellow employees to achieve promotion or attract attention. The good news is that these women usually owned up to the fact that they are office tyrants because the ends justified the means. Well, no more. It just could be construed as being your fault if you are a man. Yes, it’s that pesky little hormone we men can’t live without, or wouldn’t want to live without. It seems women with higher levels of testosterone are “more likely to pursue risky careers in business and finance, according to US scientists. They say it demonstrates just how important the hormone is in defining the differences between the genders.” Who knew? Earlier studies have shown that women with high testosterone levels are typically more competitive and dominant, however this is the first time the hormone has been proved to have an impact on career choice. The research report was published yesterday in the US journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences. The study found that “women with high testosterone levels had a greater appetite for risk but the same was not true among men. However, men and women with similar levels of the hormone were found to be equally likely to take risks. Individuals with the highest levels of testosterone also opted for riskier financial careers after graduation.” Confused? Me too. Posting this story is enough risk-taking for one day since my wife occasionally peruses DJ for the latest news. I don’t think she needs this kind of guilt weapon at her disposal. Perhaps that is the true purpose of the female orientated research. To further confuse men and pile on few more pounds of gender guilt. “This study has significant implications for how the effects of testosterone could impact on actual risk-taking in financial markets, because many of these students will go on to become major players in the financial world," said Luigi Zingales, a third scientist involved in the study. Zingales also claims women with high testosterone levels and a habit of taking risks are likely to have much higher sex drives than their peers, as the hormone is additionally known to govern libido in both sexes. While this may seem like a great problem to have for young macho men, as the years advance it’s possible the phenomenon could have unforeseen consequences. Of course, I can’t say for sure.