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I have no idea why this comment got downvoted. This is the most scientific explanation possible. In males, more testosterone induces more risk taking, while low

I have no idea why this comment got downvoted. This is the most scientific explanation possible. In males, more testosterone induces more risk taking, while low testosterone is linked to risk avoidance. Left-wing policies (“nanny state”) cater to people who avoid risks; people who are risk takers prefer right wing policies. Testosterone also affects muscle growth and facial characteristics.

anigbrowl 6y ago
Probably being penalized for linking to an overtly snarky opinion article rather than a scholarly source. Jack-in-the-box links tend not to fare well on HN.
Applejinx 6y ago
I've learned some things about testosterone 'cos it's interesting. You're slanting it. People with more testosterone are more unsatisfied, aggressive, sexually driven, restless, and disappointed. This has nothing to do with something as apparently laudable as risk-taking vs. risk-avoiding, and in fact it's quite easy to be loaded with testosterone and yet constantly fretting over enemies and bad stuff you expect to happen, leading to conservative choices (not risky or experimental choices). Aggressiveness and dissatisfaction are a better match for testosterone, which MAY lead to risk taking but are just as likely to lead to efforts to control and suppress perceived risks. There's merit in the effects of testosterone but you're off base in terms of what you think it does.
- souprock 6y ago
  Aggressiveness is only indirectly related to testosterone. Testosterone makes a person defend status. Researchers have created situations where status is determined by generosity, and they found that in these situations the people with more testosterone were more generous. Aggressiveness is only going to have that association with testosterone when aggressiveness seems like the best strategy to maintain status.
- dpoochieni 6y ago
  Haha every older man I know who does testosterone is more satisfied and overall happier. Where did you find this?
meowface 6y ago
Economic leftism might be associated with less risk-taking, but why do startup founders - people who often take huge risks - tend to skew socially left? It could probably be partly explained by sociological reasons (might be harder to get support/funding if you're perceived as more socially conservative than average), but even accounting for that, I suspect it's mostly correlated with sincere political belief. That's one problem with studies like this, as the authors point out. Is Paul Graham liberal or conservative in this binary? I think most conservatives in the US would say liberal, but many liberals, and perhaps even most liberals in his general sphere, might say he's conservative due to "complaining about SJWs and the intolerance of the left on Twitter almost daily, and routinely and proactively arguing in favor of lowering taxes for corporations and very wealthy people". (The obvious answer is he's neither [http://www.paulgraham.com/mod.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mod.html] and it's too hard to fit many people into a one-word binary.) One could also claim conservatives are by definition averse to change and so risk-averse. They (in this contrived weakman argument) are more likely to want to avoid risks from immigration, the demographics of their community shifting, their industry changing and the possibility of having to find a new kind of job, newly developed vaccines, theological consequences of permitting sinful behavior, etc. These are all intellectually lazy arguments, but the point is I don't think one can reliably sum up "a conservative" or "a liberal" - whatever that is - as being more or less risk-taking.
- cambalache 6y ago
  Startup founders tend to skew socially left the same way supermodels tend to say being attractive is not that important
- hollerith 6y ago
  >why do startup founders - people who often take huge risks - tend to skew socially left? People high in the big-five personality trait of openness perform well in startups (and perform relatively poorly in large organizations with an established business model) and high openness people tend to leftist political opinions.

anigbrowl 6y ago

Probably being penalized for linking to an overtly snarky opinion article rather than a scholarly source. Jack-in-the-box links tend not to fare well on HN.

Applejinx 6y ago

I've learned some things about testosterone 'cos it's interesting. You're slanting it. People with more testosterone are more unsatisfied, aggressive, sexually driven, restless, and disappointed. This has nothing to do with something as apparently laudable as risk-taking vs. risk-avoiding, and in fact it's quite easy to be loaded with testosterone and yet constantly fretting over enemies and bad stuff you expect to happen, leading to conservative choices (not risky or experimental choices). Aggressiveness and dissatisfaction are a better match for testosterone, which MAY lead to risk taking but are just as likely to lead to efforts to control and suppress perceived risks. There's merit in the effects of testosterone but you're off base in terms of what you think it does.

souprock 6y ago
Aggressiveness is only indirectly related to testosterone. Testosterone makes a person defend status. Researchers have created situations where status is determined by generosity, and they found that in these situations the people with more testosterone were more generous. Aggressiveness is only going to have that association with testosterone when aggressiveness seems like the best strategy to maintain status.
dpoochieni 6y ago
Haha every older man I know who does testosterone is more satisfied and overall happier. Where did you find this?

meowface 6y ago

Economic leftism might be associated with less risk-taking, but why do startup founders - people who often take huge risks - tend to skew socially left? It could probably be partly explained by sociological reasons (might be harder to get support/funding if you're perceived as more socially conservative than average), but even accounting for that, I suspect it's mostly correlated with sincere political belief. That's one problem with studies like this, as the authors point out. Is Paul Graham liberal or conservative in this binary? I think most conservatives in the US would say liberal, but many liberals, and perhaps even most liberals in his general sphere, might say he's conservative due to "complaining about SJWs and the intolerance of the left on Twitter almost daily, and routinely and proactively arguing in favor of lowering taxes for corporations and very wealthy people". (The obvious answer is he's neither [http://www.paulgraham.com/mod.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mod.html] and it's too hard to fit many people into a one-word binary.) One could also claim conservatives are by definition averse to change and so risk-averse. They (in this contrived weakman argument) are more likely to want to avoid risks from immigration, the demographics of their community shifting, their industry changing and the possibility of having to find a new kind of job, newly developed vaccines, theological consequences of permitting sinful behavior, etc. These are all intellectually lazy arguments, but the point is I don't think one can reliably sum up "a conservative" or "a liberal" - whatever that is - as being more or less risk-taking.

cambalache 6y ago
Startup founders tend to skew socially left the same way supermodels tend to say being attractive is not that important
hollerith 6y ago
>why do startup founders - people who often take huge risks - tend to skew socially left? People high in the big-five personality trait of openness perform well in startups (and perform relatively poorly in large organizations with an established business model) and high openness people tend to leftist political opinions.