Now here’s an interesting item: it seems that upper-body strength in males correlates positively with opposition to redistributive economic policies.
We read:
“Our results demonstrate that physically weak males are more reluctant than physically strong males to assert their self-interest ”” just as if disputes over national policies were a matter of direct physical confrontation among small numbers of individuals, rather than abstract electoral dynamics among millions,’ [Aarhus University researcher Michael Bang] Petersen said.
Yes, another shocker from the frontiers of Science: “physically weak males are more reluctant than physically strong males to assert their self-interest”. Who knew?
Well, I seem to fit the pattern; I’m six feet tall, sturdily built, strong as an ox, and no socialist. (I first became strong, as a young man, by working hard to earn myself a living as a laborer on the railroad, which of course may have something to do with it.)
This finding is hardly surprising, from an evolutionary, or even common-sense, viewpoint. (The correlation is not observed in women.) It is certainly understandable that a feminized, soft-handed, epicene beta male of the sort seen everywhere in the big cities these days would prefer that people not have to toil or compete for a living. (Leaving aside economic redistribution, I find myself wondering who opens their jars for them.)
Of course it’s atavistic to imagine that competition in this day and age requires physical dominance, but muscle mass likely correlates with testosterone levels, and so in turn with competitiveness.
9 Comments
Erhmmm, this “Just In” could use a little sentence restructuring. Just to avoid some “possible” misunderstandings.
Despite your “admirable” I’m six feet tall, sturdily built, strong as an ox an sos and sos – being 5′ 7″, lithe as an alligator, and capable of biting through #12 AWG copper doesn’t mean I’m necessarily a socialist.
“Sociable” maybe, at least most of a month.
JK, I don’t know how jaw strength figures into all this, but you might be on to something. Perhaps you should write to Aarhus.
Well.
I guess I could restructure a tad myself.
I’m lithe as an alligator, and capable of biting through #12 AWG copper but my being a mere 5′ 7″ doesn’t mean I’m a socialist.
Although there are a few individuals I wouldn’t mind “restructuring” but not sentencywise.
I think we are only talking about statistical distributions here. You’re more than welcome over on our side.
Oh, statistics it was, gee I feel like one of the regular gang now.
I had to pause to watch the Evening News.
Reason why “jaw strength” figures in (I’d thought just mentioning AWG’d convey electrically speaking) anyway, it takes something like “strong as an ox” to bring to one’s jawbite something that’s gonna for a millisecond or three, set one’s testicles to clanging the frequency.
The voltages “normally” one would expect’d be 120/208/277.
Laters. I don’t wanna be late for The Factor.
Couldn’t agree more. Sorry if the ox thing seemed a tad boastful, but that’s just the way it is.
As the great Walter Brennan used to say on The Guns of Will Sonnett…
Do oxen have testicles?
Jeffery Hodges
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Generally not. They also tend to favor redistributive economic systems.
The likeness is imperfect.
Not that I’d want to ‘steer’ this thread toward details of that likeness, but a lot of oxen seem to be horny — or behornÁ©d, or whatever the word is — despite lacking testicular fortitude . . .
Jeffery Hodges
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