From Venus to Mars: transsexuals, testosterone, and the male mind

As the old saying goes: "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus."  But what happens if you switch planets?

Below is a report of a Dutch transsexual undergoing female-to-male hormone therapy.  He was taking testosterone for three months in order to stimulate physical changes -- but he was shocked by how much it changed his mind too.  Here's what he said about starting to think like a man:

"I have problems expressing myself, I stumble over my words. Your use of language becomes less broad, more direct and concise. Your use of words changes, you become more concrete. I graduated with a 10 for Dutch. It is subconsciously different. It is a much more spatial, a more visual language. I can make comparisons more easily. I think less; I act faster, without thinking.

I can’t make fine hand movements any more; I let things fall out of my hands.

The visual is so strong… when walking in the streets I absorb the things around me. I am an artist, but this is so strong. It gives a euphoric feeling. I do miss, however, the overall picture. Now I have to do one thing at a time; I used to be able to do different things simultaneously. """

It's just one anecdote, but pretty amazing nonetheless.  Language abilities became less expressive and broad, but more concrete, direct, concise, and spacial.  Visual sensation up.  Thinking less, acting more.  Improved ability to focus on one task, but decreased ability to multi-task.

These reports should be mandatory reading for any couples about to married.  Reading about these experiences are not so different than, say, reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.  That book put white readers in the shoes of a slave, and was a seminal work in the abolitionist movement.  These reports help men understand the female mind, and help women understand the male mind.  And that understanding should hopefully breed more compassion between the sexes -- in both directions.

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Source: Stephanie van Goozen, Male and Female: Effects of Sex Hormones on Aggression, Cognition, and Sexual Motivation (Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam, 1994), pg. 173.

Comments

Great article! Thanks for

Submitted by kuchiyose on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 03:06.

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The stereotypical differences

Submitted by Josh on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 05:15.

The stereotypical differences that men and women relate to their world are something we teach, in the Massage Therapy school I teach at, in the communication unit when new therapists first start out. I personally think that there is a large number of generalizations with it, but  it's really all you can do to point out some of the differences in which males and females communicate.

I assume you know this

Submitted by Chris on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 21:36.

I assume you know this already, but this is a field where there is a lot of contention.  I don't know enough about it to speak about the areas or degrees of contention, but I know to know that there is contention.  I remember reading an article by a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist who specialized in trans-sexual cases and concluded after years working with them that male-to-female transsexuals didn't become like women, they became like men's ideas of what women are/could be.  I also read an interesting article a few years ago about a study in which women were given either testosterone or placebo and then played games in which some parties had the option of choosing to share a quantity of "money."  Afterward, the subjects were asked whether they believed they had received the testosterone or the placebo.  It turns out the testosterone group acted relatively cooperatively and equitably, but the group that believed they had received testosterone also believed they had acted aggressively and dominantly.  In the case you present, it is not at clear to me that the patient's report represents the effects of testosterone per se rather than the effects of becoming more comfortable with himself or more like the person he was born to be.  Just saying: if you are reading this to contribute to your book, you want to read widely in this field before making any claims.

 I can only assume switching

Submitted by Alex Good on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 00:35.

 I can only assume switching planets would result in a pandemic due to the travelling parties carrying illnesses which the native population has no defense against.

While some forms of "thinking

Submitted by Rahsaan on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 20:18.

While some forms of "thinking or how we view and interact with the world do seem to be sex-based, a great deal of it all is also influenced by gender, a social construct. I'd be curious to read, see or hear how the whole Mars/Venus philosophy is applied (if applicable at all) to societies that don't have just our two genders.  For instance, I know of at least one society in New Guinea where there are three genders. 

While some forms of "thinking

Submitted by Rahsaan on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 20:18.

While some forms of "thinking or how we view and interact with the world do seem to be sex-based, a great deal of it all is also influenced by gender, a social construct. I'd be curious to read, see or hear how the whole Mars/Venus philosophy is applied (if applicable at all) to societies that don't have just our two genders.  For instance, I know of at least one society in New Guinea where there are three genders. 

Interesting read.  Have you

Submitted by Dennis on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 18:09.

Interesting read.  Have you heard the This American Life podcast about a similar subject?  Here is a link to the transcript; Episode 220:Testosterone  Its more anecdotal than scientific but it does help to broaden an understanding of the effects of hormones on our physical and mental selves.

Speaking as a trans male, I

Submitted by T.F. on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 17:31.

Speaking as a trans male, I agree that more people should read about our experiences, but not necessarily to illustrate the vast psychological gulfs between "Mars" and "Venus".  This is one experience.  If you were to interview 100 different people undergoing HRT (hormone replacement therapy), you're going to get a pretty wide variety of responses. I became better at expressing myself.  I also developed more empathy towards others.  The only stereotypically male behaviors that I've noticed are an inability to have a "good cry" (I can only manage choked sobs, and cry VERY rarely), and for a couple of months, I wanted to bed anything that moved  (which mellowed out with time).  I attribute most of my psychological changes to being more comfortable in my own skin, and the constant validation, praise, and respect lavished upon white men in Western culture.  Its easy to "act fast" and have confidence when your daily interactions constantly affirm that you're capable and effective.  This stands in stark contrast to the assumptions of dependence and ineptitude that I met when I appeared to be female.If hetero couples have anything to learn from my experience, its that approaching conflict with the assumption that your biological differences are akin to being seperate species from different planets might be setting yourselves up for failure.  Bringing misunderstandings back to Earth,  working towards an understanding of how our culture, socialization, and biology work together to shape us as men and women, but most of all, as individuals, without relying upon worn out assumptions might be a more complicated but more effective route to understanding one another.   

" Its easy to "act fast" and

Submitted by Catharine on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 16:38.

" Its easy to "act fast" and have confidence when your daily interactions constantly affirm that you're capable and effective.  This stands in stark contrast to the assumptions of dependence and ineptitude that I met when I appeared to be female."This is SO true. I am a  female who has always enjoyed traditionally male professions, etc. It is very difficult to maintain the required swagger and confidence necessary to be a pilot, news photographer or railroader when the men on the job assume you are inept and weak. They don't realize it I'm sure, but their "help" and failure to communicate directly can really undermine one's ability to forcefully and  quickly get the job done.  Some say they are just being "chivalrous" and I know they are not hostile towards me, but it is demoralizing at times...

T.F., Did you lose weight? 

Submitted by Chris on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 21:39.

T.F., Did you lose weight?  Did your appetite change, or did your cravings for sweets or fats or proteins change?  Thanks.

"If hetero couples have

Submitted by Angela on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 23:01.

"If hetero couples have anything to learn from my experience, its that approaching conflict with the assumption that your biological differences are akin to being seperate species from different planets might be setting yourselves up for failure. " Yes. This. Deal with each other as human beings. Stereotypes are useful shortcuts, but there are no shortcuts in relationships.

 I 100% agree with you.  I'm

Submitted by Kate on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 17:58.

 I 100% agree with you.  I'm a little troubled by people saying "all women are like X" or "all men are like Y."  Sure, there are differences, but even if a majority of women think/behave in one way and a majority of men think/behave in another, we're more alike than we are different.  Also, I think the jury's still out on how many differences between the sexes are based on biology and how many are based on what society teaches us.  After all, many hunter-gatherer societies were matriarchal!

I'm the father of five girls

Submitted by sp on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 16:32.

I'm the father of five girls and one boy.  They are dramatically different from day one.

That is fascinating. 

Submitted by Christina on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 17:26.

That is fascinating. 

FYI, trans* people should be

Submitted by Kailen on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 16:20.

FYI, trans* people should be addressed as the gender they identify with.  Someone who is female-to-male (like in the article above) should be addressed with male pronouns (and as "Sir", "Mr." etc), and someone who is male-to-female should be addressed with female pronouns (and as "ma'am", "Ms", etc).

thanks, I'll correct

Submitted by John on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 16:40.

thanks, I'll correct

We literally posted that at

Submitted by Alishahndra on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 16:22.

We literally posted that at the same time...great minds.

Indeed!  :)

Submitted by Kailen on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 00:44.

Indeed!  :)

Thanks for posting about

Submitted by Alishahndra on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 16:20.

Thanks for posting about switching planets!  The only suggestion that I have for the future is that when you talk to or about someone who thinks of themself as one gender and their body has specified otherwise, you use the pronound that their mind connects with. In this case, you'd use the pronoun "he." Most of the initiated are comfortable enough with gender politics to correct others, as long as they know the uninitiated person is trying...it's kind of like visiting a foreign country.

thanks, will correct!

Submitted by John on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 16:43.

thanks, will correct!