Jun
9
In what appears to echo the revelations of gender-based differences found in the ‘tend and befriend’ response to stress by women – as distinct from men’s instinctive ‘fight or flight” reactions – there may also be a biological basis in our different tolerances for risk-taking behaviors – and it’s not testosterone. It’s not that women are risk-averse, but that men experience a rush of adrenaline when confronting a challenge, pumping them up so they experience less fear. Women on the other hand, produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which causes severe nausea! Since women don’t experience the same positive chemical reward, so the thinking goes, we’re less pumped about confronting stressful situations – leading us to rely on more cerebral ways of making decisions.
Another interesting line of thinking is that because women have more cross-networking of filaments connecting the two hemispheres of our brains than men, we inherently evaluate different sensory cues, facts, and emotions when making decisions. Essentially, we want to see the whole picture before we go diving in.
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WOw, who knew about the different chemicals produced! As a mind body science junky I’m always happy to learn more about how we tick and how we differ from our male counterparts.
And it makes so much sense now that you mention it. Good to keep in mind when facing off with a male over business or personal issues. They may not include scaling Mt Everest but if there is risk it’s probable that the same chemical cocktails might be released.