I imagine with a lot of things that people say come along with T (increased aggression, loss of crying, changes in thinking, loss of focus, etc.) there can't be a blanket yes or no. Maybe its chemical, maybe its individual, maybe its mind over matter. Maybe I haven't had any of those changes because I didn't think I would. My therapist said I would, but my actual doctor gave me a list of completely different side effects and I chose to believe her over a therapist with no medical training so maybe that had an affect. BUt I still don't by biology being the reason. Male actors can cry. Its a learned behavior, in my opinion. I think its probably an agree to disagree thing. But the discussion of men displaying emotion is still a good one to think about even if we disagree on the side effects of being on testosterone. Men are supposed to be "strong", whatever the cultural definition of that is, and its sad that we teach men and women to behave so differently and then claim that its an equal world.

It's not an equal world. With the teachings to be so different it cannot come to such a point and biologically it is impossible.

To say that male and female, gender aside, can be equal can never be true. To say that we can change our societal and/or cultural views to bring them onto an equal playing field concerning the binary genders is possible, but again not something we've even really come close to, though we have come a long way. It's just how we know so much about the earth now and we've drilled so far, but it's merely the surface of it all.

Quote from: Wolf Man on August 22, 2012, 01:15:54 AM
It's not an equal world. With the teachings to be so different it cannot come to such a point and biologically it is impossible.

To say that male and female, gender aside, can be equal can never be true. To say that we can change our societal and/or cultural views to bring them onto an equal playing field concerning the binary genders is possible, but again not something we've even really come close to, though we have come a long way. It's just how we know so much about the earth now and we've drilled so far, but it's merely the surface of it all.

That was why I said claim it to be true. No, women and men are not completely even on the playing ground. Women naturally have stronger hips and legs while men naturally have stronger upper bodies. (or insert any physical difference you want) Biology is what it is and that will never change, no matter how much many may wish it. I wasn't suggesting that at all. Men may have larger tear ducts but that doesn't mean they don't cry or that they cry less because of this sole difference.

Take body building - through body/strength training women can absolutely be as strong as a man, because they trained to get there. They might not be as strong as some of their male body building counterparts because yes, testosterone does aid in strength and muscle building, but they could most likely take any normal guy in a fight. Its the same with crying. If you teach young boys that its okay to express emotion that way, they will *learn* how to cry rather than suppress it and thus be able to. Older men like my father have a harder time crying because they never learned. They learned to suppress it.

HOWEVER: I will also add that some people just cry more than others, period. One of my brothers cries more than anyone else in the family. Its just a part of his personality regardless of his sex. Some men cry more than women, just like some people cry more than others. I've met women who never cried and others who cried at the drop of a hat. My mother bawls all the time and her sister hasn't cried in years except when she was in pain. All I am saying is that you can't say "T makes it so you can't cry." Its not a fact for everyone on it. Just like not everyone is more prone to punching their fists through walls and being crazy horny all the time because they take T.

But, that's my two cents and my opinion. Like I said, its going to be an agree to disagree thing, I think. Apologies to Dalebert - I certainly don't want to turn your thread into an argument. Thanks for sharing the video and giving me and the husband a very interesting topic for discussion.