Opus 2024-207: Testosterone Thoughts

There has been much ado in the news lately about how the testosterone levels of men around the world have been getting lower.  I think this is even more true in the United States than in other countries.

The reason this is significant and could have earth shaking results is that it is the sex drive that is behind men’s need to establish a family.  The sex drive is very dominant, and without it, men would probably never get married.  In a culture where women are available without marriage it is no surprise that marriage is on the decline.  This sex drive is not a totally lurid feeling.  In most men who are healthy, it is closely tied to a desire for intimacy, for family, for children, for a need to protect, for a need to provide.  There are many things involved and in healthy people one does not dominate over all the others.  If you remove any of them, the rest tend to deteriorate and weaken.

Men are less interested in marriage today.  Part of that may have to do with the lower hormone levels which make women less attractive.  One of the reasons that it is important to have the sex drive is that it encourages men to stay in the relationship long enough to make the hard adjustments.  I think one of the reasons why shacking up or, living in sin, doesn’t work is because there is no reason to stay in the relationship when the other person gets cranky or hard to live with.  With the commitment of marriage, and to be honest, the grace of God, you make it over the humps and the rough spots and in time true love develops.  This is one of the reasons why believers have to understand the phrase, “divorce is not an option.”  When you can’t escape you make it work.

I know that macho men don’t like to admit it, but as you get older the sex drive decreases.  I would imagine that has to do with a natural lowering of the testosterone, but I’m not sure, and I’m not sure I care.  It happens.  The upside of that is that with fewer hormonal issues in your life, a man can start thinking more clearly.  A man can begin to absorb the things that contribute to wisdom.  I think one of the reasons that wisdom is associated with age has to do with the lowering of the testosterone.

You might compare marriage and “best friends with benefits” in the same way that you compare a steak prepared extra rare or blue with old-fashioned jerky. One is prepared quickly, right now, and is considered cool.  The other takes a long time and a lot of preparation and is considered redneck.  One goes bad as soon as the temperature changes.  The other stores quite well for an extended period of time.  Living together outside of holy wedlock is fun, exciting and I’m sure you can think of other adjectives.  I’m not sure about that because I never did live in sin, but common sense and observation tell me this.  It also tells me that it is usually a short track to heartbreak and despair.  I know there are a few select couples that have the commitment that leads to what we call “common law”, marriage, but for most people, it ends, as soon as the passion is over.  When there are children involved, it becomes a tragedy.

I hope you live long enough for wisdom to develop.  I hope you’re youthful enthusiasm and foolishness does not lay the groundwork for a life of failure and frustration.

Remember “God hates divorce.”  Also remember that, according to the scripture, sexual relations are to be limited to marriage.

homo unius libri