1775. Sex Difference Redux — Part 29: Happiness

The sexes even differ regarding self-gratefulness and happiness. The principles work differently in youth than old age, and so women are generally happier in younger ages while men are generally happier late in life. Remember, however, I’m only describing their natures, that is, the default conditions they face when they have no reason to think or feel otherwise.

Hormones make the difference, but the process of living with varying kinds and intensities of hormones explain why it changes over life. Happiness flows from one’s gratitude for who and what they are. The more closely allied with their own nature each person is, the more grateful they are for themselves.

Natural heavy loading of estrogen and light loading of testosterone identify young females. The combination makes younger women less aggressive, less assertive with males, and more inclined to gentleness and kind-heartedness—relative to men, that is. Heavy loading of testosterone and light loading of estrogen identify males—relative to women. Thus, men are naturally more assertive, aggressive toward females, and leaning more toward violence than toward gentleness and kind-heartedness. It’s as if estrogen plucks the peaceful strings while testosterone beats the warrior drums of one’s heart.

The combinations of hormone loading reverse later in life and reverse the traits mentioned. Women primarily lose estrogen but little or no testosterone. Men primarily lose testosterone but much less estrogen. Ergo, the ratio change in both sexes shifts their gears into behaviors more pronounced in the opposite sex. Older women become more like young men and older men more like young women. Visibly the changes are so minimal and gradual that other people don’t notice or easily accept what they perceive. Internally, however, the process of living produces different results than earlier in life.

Women sense the body changes more easily than men. The more they rely on their new hormone-stimulated nature, the more assertive, aggressive, and even abrasively stubborn they become. If they appreciate or don’t mind it and stay true to that newly induced female nature, they become more grateful for who and what they are. They accept aging with a pleasant rather than sour outlook. Consequently, they tend to remain happier later in life. OTOH, if they dislike the changes they undergo with aging, they seek to improve and choose more masculinized behavior that may function well but adds little to their sense of gratefulness for themselves. Disliking the female side of self, they take up the habits of men to which they already lean hormonally. This causes some dislike of themselves, and they tend to be much less grateful for who and what they are, which leads to less or no happiness.

Men are quite the opposite. Hormone changes late in life make them more grateful for themselves; thus they more easily find happiness.

Not by way of apology but to add clarity, I admit to describing subconscious and subliminal changes. Except to the extent we appear to be different than we were in younger life, the changes in chemistry and attitude are not easy for others to perceive or us to recognize. However, gratitude and happiness come much easier to the men and women who stay true to their nature. For example, feminists abandon much of their female nature. So, late in life they should expect to not be grateful for who and what they are; happiness will likely elude them. Men that outwardly reject feminist teachings and political correctness stick purposefully to their masculine nature; happiness will likely find them late in life.

It’s simply the difference in the sexes. She’s more prone to be self-grateful and happy earlier in life and lose it later. He’s more prone to be that way later in life having missed it in younger days.

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