3/25/10: Man Brains

(Based on an article by Dr. Louann Brizendine who is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology – author of books “The Female Brain” and “The Male Brain”)



In general, the brain of a male and female are very similar, but it’s the differences that make you want to throw the man closest to you under the nearest bus.



“Defend Your Turf” – As most of you probably expected, this part of the brain is larger in males and men have the added benefit of special circuits to detect territorial challenges by other males.



Alarm System – Yes, even the alarm system for threats, fear and danger is larger in men, making them more alert to threats.



“I feel what you feel” – This part of the brain is larger in females. Again, I don’t think this comes as a surprise to anyone. This allows women to excel at reading facial expressions, interpreting tone of voice and other nonverbal emotional cues. (No, he really doesn’t know your irritated and has no clue why you should be – however, his alarm system is probably starting to ring if you take off your shoe to throw it at him…)



The pursuit of sex – Raise your hand if you think you know how this one will turn out. The sex part of the brain is larger in males. It’s not just a little larger, its 2.5 times larger! If testosterone were beer, a 9-year old boy gets the equivalent of 1 cup per day – a 15 year old boy gets the equivalent of 2 gallons per day. That explains a lot, right? Especially the glazed look a man gets when he sees breasts. Yes, men look at women like women look at jewelry. And while we are still fuming about his behavior, he is deciding what he wants to watch on TV.



While male brains are pursuing sex, female brains are pursuing safety, security, and reliability. That said, a man can fall as hard and fast into love as a woman, but for him, it happens when love and lust collide. Once that happens, he is hooked for life.



When a woman becomes pregnant (are you reading this Mike?) she emits pheromones that stimulate a man’s brain to make more Prolactin and at the same time decreases testosterone production by 30%. This change makes the man more likely to help with the baby and increase his ability to hear a baby cry. (This is the part you need to pay attention to Mary!) The more a man takes hands-on care of the child, the more his brain aligns to the role of fatherhood.



While men seem to be less emotional than women, that just isn’t true. What is different is the response to the emotions. Initially, a man’s emotional reaction is actually stronger than a female’s, but within 2.5 seconds he is able to hide or reverse the emotion because his analytical responses kick in. When a woman cries, she talks about what’s wrong. The man, on the other hand, starts immediately engaging his analytical side to find a resolution. Yes, this is why instead of hugging you and telling you it is going to be Ok, he says something stupid like “You wouldn’t look fat in those jeans if you ate less ice cream.” It’s not because he is insensitive, it is because he is trying to alleviate the pain by offering a resolution to the problem as quickly as possible.



As men age, testosterone goes down and estrogen goes up. This makes the man more receptive to closer bonds and more sensitive to loneliness. Women, on the other hand, have less estrogen and more testosterone, so they do the opposite. . If your man gets abnormally tired, irritable and depressed, you may want to look in to hormone replacement therapy. In addition to increased estrogen, men also experience an increase on oxytocin, a hormone that makes a man much more patient and playful – which makes him seem like he is a different person with his grandchildren than he was with his children.



The bottom line? Men are men and will always be men. Pat them on their pointed little heads, make them feel important and don’t take it too personally when they don’t respond the way you want them too – that’s just how they are wired.