Size Does Matter

I just finished reading The Female Brain (Dr. Louann Brizendine MD) and learned some fascinating facts about the neurochemical make-up of women and how it impacts our behavior. Here are some interesting nuggets I came away with:

1. The neurochemical make-up of men dictates whether or not they will be faithful. There is a gene that codes for a particular kind of vasopressin receptor in the brain, which comes in seventeen different lengths. Males with longest gene variation are the most reliable and trustworthy partners. Therefore, this is the only size that matters when seeking a long-term mate.

2. The female brain is nature’s default setting. From conception until eight weeks, the fetal brain has the circuitry pathways of the female brain. After eight weeks, a huge testosterone surge makes this unisex brain male by killing off some of the cells in the communication centers and growing the areas dedicated to sex and aggression.

3. Women are not prone to fidelity any more than men are. Women are subconsciously looking for the men with the best genes to father their children. Symmetrical features are a signal of good genes, and therefore women are drawn to men with more symmetrical structures. When a woman is single, she is looking for men that can help her raise and protect her family. Once the home is established, the biological need to sneak around with men who have the best genes still persists.

4. Mommies fall “in love” with their babies. Research has shown that tender nurturing and breast-feeding that a mother experiences with her child releases bursts of dopamine, the reward and pleasure chemical, just as it does in romantic love.

5. No cold feet. In order for a woman to have an orgasm during sex, her amygdala, the center for fear and anxiety must be turned off. Women need to be comfortable and have their feet warm before they feel like having sex.

6. The switch from the giddy intensity of romance to the calmer, less passionate long-term relationship state is nature’s way of decreasing a couple’s focus on each other so that they can care for a new child.