Historically, men have been the most dominant gender in virtually every aspect of society. Any roles that were seen as requiring a man to do them, were in fact, done by men. Hunting parties, explorers, warriors were generally all men. In the eyes of society, these men that took the risk were looked upon with great favour, being bestowed greater pay for their craft and gaining the respect and adoration of their peers. This generally leads to them gaining the eyes of younger women, ultimately making these risk-takers more likely to mate and produce offspring. Furthermore, regarding these risky jobs, they were
naturally more physically strenuous than what other occupations would be. By the rule of survival of the fittest, men who had partaken in these positions would simply be more physically fit and therefore, more likely to survive harsher conditions. Because these men were survivors, their population eclipsed that of the more prudent, declining population.
With this in mind, evolution could theoretically dictate that men may be
genetically inclined to take on dangerous activities
and occupations.
potentially inclined
on a genetic level to
pursue more dangerous
activities and occupations,
it’s a fair claim that men simply
are more competitive and aggressive than women. Taking risks and
making decisions for the short term when it best suits them and the
opportunity presents itself versus women, who may instead, think about
the long term. Studies show that men are more likely to engage in riskier
activities than women. From speeding down a highway to bungee jumping,
men are more likely to display risk-taking behaviour. Between ages 15 to 35 is
when men seem to exhibit this type of behaviour the most, likely due to it being a
period where competition among co-males is the most prevalent. As such, when
taking these risks, they’re more likely to die and/or get involved in fatal accidents
compared to women of the same age. There is no concrete answer to why men
exhibit this behaviour more than women. The various reasons can be tied to their
biology, psychology or social upbringing.
Psychologically, men are more likely to partake in risk-taking activities
because of their desire to be rewarded. Alternatively, their masculinity, which could
lead to a strong sense of competitiveness, resulting in potentially more aggressive, compulsive
tendencies and behaviours amongst men. Men are more likely to be found speeding, tailgating or performing driving misconduct. According to a study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in 2018, 82% of women view distracted driving as dangerous, versus the lesser number of 77.4% of men. Additionally, 93% of women view aggressive driving as dangerous whereas 87.7% of men share the sentiment. While both can acknowledge that these behaviours are dangerous, it’s clear that there’s a difference in the perceived risks between both genders.
All that said, it’s important to recognize that these risk-taking behaviours pose negative effects for men. With the higher likelihood of being involved in life-threatening accidents, severe traumatic brain injuries are more likely to develop in men. According to statistics, the ratio of severe traumatic brain injuries between men to women is about 3:1 to 5:1 respectively. Their tendency to engage in high-risk activities means that they are more prone to committing crimes. Homicides are most commonly done by unemployed male suspects. One could argue that it’s due to social status, but naturally, it can be attributed to the natural risk-taking behaviour of men.
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