THE NEW NORMAL

The New Normal

What is natural? What is normal? Who decides? Should we respect the social construct of “natural”, or even the biological construct? We humans modify many many things that “God” gave, or didn’t give, us…..we take medications to block pain receptors…we take medication to combat depression, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, etc….We do everything in our power chemically to reverse the effects of aging….we put ourselves in front of very sharp objects to reverse aging…or at least for a chance at it….

After all….aren’t we trying to find enjoyment and purpose in life..aren’t we trying to be good citizens, good friends, good parents, reach our goals, not clinically depressed, pain free, climb our mountains, etc..? Aren’t we trying to encourage and maintain a (just) society?, one without violence, and aggression, and impropriety….? Might altering the biochemistry in our bodies (from where they exist at any given time) make our lives better....but how about if changing our biochemistry made it better for the whole world...., not just you? What if people you have not met yet, or even people you may never meet, could benefit from you having a healthy, and socially responsible biochemistry.

If so, then reflect on this….

It has been proven through numerous studies that testosterone is linked to aggression, no surprise there..in 1990 James Dabbs studied 4,462 men and concluded that “the overall picture among the high-testosterone men is one of delinquency, substance abuse and a tendency toward excess.”

The newest and strongest evidence about the effect of testosterone comes from a study of 1,706 men in the Boston area, aged 39 to 70. The men were selected at random as part of a larger study on aging. Those who agreed to participate were interviewed in their homes and given psychological tests, and blood samples were taken.

Those who had higher levels of testosterone and related hormones had a personality profile that researchers described as ‘’dominant with some aggressive behavior.’’

‘’The picture we get is of a man who attempts to influence and control other people, who expresses his opinions forcefully and his anger freely, and who dominates social interactions,’’ said John B. McKinlay, a psychologist at the New England Research Institute in Watertown, Mass., who was on the research team.

Is this not consistent with a society that has men being in control….subordinating other men..and certainly women? We also know that men commit 98% of rapes….Let me say that again…98%.. Heck, I bet the sun doesn’t even come up 98% of the time.

95% of adults in prison for violent crimes are men….that is a huge sample size…

‘’In animals behavior like mating, nesting and aggression is much more tightly linked to hormones than is true in humans,’’ Dr. Rose said. ‘’In humans hormones set the stage, while social factors also determine if and how they are expressed.’’

Still, a growing body of new evidence portrays a distinct role for testosterone among men jockeying for power.

High testosterone levels have long been known to typify the dominant males in groups of primates like baboons, and in unusual groups of men like prison inmates and hospitalized psychiatric patients. But the recent research has found the same differences in men who seek social dominance in normal realms of life.”

Men do have lower testosterone levels than baboons, don’t we? Or are we just more influenced by not wanting to go to jail and not wanting to be considered a ”baboon” by those around us? Are many of us ”baboons” with suits and ties on....and good haircuts?

‘’Hormonal secretions create a propensity for certain behaviors,’’ Dr. Rose said. ‘’Testosterone seems most strongly linked to competitiveness and dominance.’’

The findings apply only to men. After puberty, testosterone levels in men are about 10 times higher than in women.

A UCLA study showed that when a man holds a gun, his testosterone levels go up….in real time. Why should we be surprised? I can only imagine that Aaron Hernandez and O.J. Simpson weren’t experiencing low testosterone at those moments when they took those 4 lives.

But, what about this…what if we assigned an arbitrary numbering system for testosterone levels in the male body? What if we knew that 85% of Nobel Prize winners had a testosterone level of 7 or 8, for example. What if we knew that Jefferson, and Lincoln, and Ghandhi, and many other highly respected men had testosterone levels around 7 – 8. Conversely, what if we knew that Hitler, and Stalin, and Ted Bundy, and Bill Belichick (ha) and most serial rapists had testosterone levels at 11? What if we could determine that sensitivity levels, compassion levels, integrity levels, etc., were optimum when a man has a testosterone level of around 7? What if people were better listeners when their testosterone levels were around “7”, and more narcissistic when and close minded when they were above “9”? I think from previous studies there is every reason to believe that testosterone profiles are very closely linked to social behavior and psychological characteristics. Could Jesus have been Jesus with a testosterone level of 11? I’m just asking.

Many people have glands that produce too much (according to “norms”) of a particular hormone....and it can create many emotional and physical problems.....hyperthyroidism, for example, is when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Feeling shaky, nervous
• Weight loss
• Increased appetite
• Diarrhea
• Double vision
• Thin skin
• Menstrual changes
• Intolerance to heat and excessive sweating
• Swelling and enlargement of the neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• Bulging of the eyes
• Muscle weakness

I’m sure it is a real health problem but does it affect people who don’t have the problem? Meaning---does a person having hyperthyroidism affect the rate of violence in the world, aggression, rapes, etc.? The answer is “no”. It affects the person with hyperthyroidism (only).

A doctor will prescribe medication to bring the thyroid levels to a more “normal” level. A level where the human mind and body function at more peak levels.

If we want to suppress ovulation in women in order to get birth control then we can do that easily. We can change the hormone cocktail in order to avoid unwanted outcomes….We do this all the time…In some cases we establish a new “norm”. In other cases we take someone from a negative situation that was organically provoked in their own body, and restore it to what is “normal” for most others.

We can implant a fetus into another woman’s uterus, we use stem cells to create things out of “thin air”, we suppress the immune system for organ recipients, etc.. If we found out that a new drug could reverse damaged nerve tissue in a person with a spinal cord injury, but it might make the recipient more vulnerable to mood swings and/or depression, would we be for that? Sound interesting?

Now, what if there was a mechanism to allow people to adjust their testosterone levels so as to give them the highest chance to be a happy, non violent, non sexually volatile, emotionally strong, kind, civilized, individual? What if we could increase the creativity levels and the empathy levels of people just be modifying their testosterone levels to, say, that “7” range?

We know that 60 million people died during WWII (3% of the world’s population). If we knew that the men who carried out these horrific deeds had testosterone levels that were “10 or 11” would it be worth the effort to see if we could find a more civilized definition for what are “normal” testosterone levels…? And, maybe “11” was a good “normal” when we were living in an Ice Age and life expectancy was 28 and we had no way to eradicate disease…but we also had men dragging women around by their hair and incredibly crude and animalistic behavior….a ”might making right” manifesto. Wouldn’t we be curious to know what the testosterone levels are for the average ISIS fighter? I have a guess….

We know, though counterintuitively, that the normal age for puberty is dropping. Studies have shown that the age for puberty in boys is going down to as low as 9 or 10. “Most parents think this puberty onset will happen at age 12 or 13. But for white boys, it’s 10 years old -- this is fifth grade,” says Marcia Herman-Giddens, adjunct professor of public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Now they are having to grapple with changes in their body and soon-to-develop sexual feelings at a younger age. And they are not at all ready to deal with this.

We can all agree that no one in society is ready to deal with this……but especially not young girls….

We know that 1 in 4 women will be raped in their lifetimes…and, the connection to high testosterone is not worthy of a challenge.

We also know that (according to studies) women and girls who are raped are:

3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

So, with all this data…and all this breathtaking misery, that is wrought, at least partially, at the hands of high testosterone….

Would there be any reason to question modern levels of testosterone in the male body…? Would there be a socially beneficial rationale to question the old “normal”? Is there more than a chance that evolution as we know it has not caught up with how far we have come technologically? Couldn’t we use an adjustment in the thermostat? I say more than a tweak....a full turn!

If we are ever going to experience a safer society…a less aggressive and violent society….one where a women being raped is not a 1 in 4 chance and a women being controlled and objectified is a gross aberration from the “norm”…….then, that “norm” might have to be defined anew.

Food for Thought……