Has any scientific study or inquiry ever measured the testosterone levels in the male population of a nation or people who have lost a war? I might speculate that it goes down as the losing side would feel emasculated. Just wondering about any real data.
No cites (unless you really want, or better, really need them) but testosterone levels go down even after a single night shift ‘on-call’ for an intern doctor. Basically, any significant and protracted stress will, predictably, lead to a drop in testosterone. So, getting back to your question about ‘the testosterone of the vanquished’ being down, you can bet on it. But, very likely, so too, would the victors’.
I don’t know if it’s relevant but a higher proportion of girl babies are born after a war.
Well - that’s what I thought and looked for a cite. What I found was that you can find cites for an increase in both male births and female births, so I guess that the jury is still out. There does seem to be a consus that the birth rate rises after a war, but that is probably nothing to do with testosterone, and a lot to do with partners getting back together and celebrating.
I have always maintained that the human race would have died out if it wasn’t for alcohol.
I think a nation that has just lost a war has a lot of other things on its collective mind more important than the measuring of its testosterone levels.
Not too sure about the victors. After all, a winning side is historically quite prone to mass rape. Perhaps theirs rises significantly…
A couple years ago Scientific American reported on research that showed male voters’ testosterone levels temporarily fall if they voted for the losing side in the presidential election. Then it says:
A male lion will show a marked drop in testosterone after loosing a fight as evidenced by the condition and color of his mane. However if he looses to an elephant or a buffalo as opposed to another male lion it has no effect on his main. I suspect humans are similar, some humans tend to take it personnal when having to take a submissive role at the workplace where other males simply view the boss or the job as a lion views an elephant. Keeping the right perspective is important.
Hmmm… my sense is that some wars and rebellions are started, (perhaps subconsciously) to recover a feeling of sexual virility (testosterone) on the part of the males, a feeling that was lost (again subconsciously, but perhaps biologically) through previous unsuccessful campaigns and defeats. (no laughing please)
Not unthinkable, look at the bully who gets beat up and then goes looking for someoene smaller so they can win. Big boys can sometimes play the same games.