Isn’t that one in the same? High test -> high est -> high anger

It's not high test though, its excess test from intramuscular injections into the body. Without an external source of testosterone, the endocrine system will keep the two balanced (unless someone has some sort of illness or damage to the testi).

Balanced but defined by your genes. My natural balance may be higher in estrogen and DHT for example, than someone else’s. My receptors can be more or less sensitive to some hormones. That explains why some people can feel great and some terrible with same lab results.

You are making strong assertions that are not strongly supported by evidence. Strong emotional reactions can happen for all kinds of hormonal disruptions including both added testosterone and all of the indirect consequences of using it (such as excess estrogen or other imbalances of that may result)

Absolutely some people can do massive amounts of steroids and have no aggressive tendencies, but other people immediately have problems. Its rather notable in some circles, like masters sports where lots of men are on TRT

and who knows what subtle psychological effects are at play, decisions being swayed by your new hormone makeup. Would make for fascinating research delving deeper

Test is associated with aggression [1]. I have to admit, I don’t really understand aromatization. Perhaps it’s the high test resulting in high estrogen that leads to the aggression.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23843821/

Testosterone increases whatever leads to a higher social status in a given society. So it can increase competitive but also cooperative behaviour depending on the circumstances.

This is why I think the drop in testosterone is such a problem for many men. Your brain does not optimize for success and SMV anymore.

Do you have a source for that. From what I have read testosterone increases novelty seeking and competitiveness.

Yes I have: some professor at Standford named Robert Sapolsky

Can’t speak for grandparent commentor, but I think they’re asking for the actual article which demonstrates the effects to which you’re alluding.

"Based on these recent findings, we argue that the role of testosterone in human social behavior might be best understood in terms of the search for, and maintenance of, social status."

https://www.zora.uzh.ch/58008/1/Testosterone_social_interact...

but I have to say that these "where is the source" posts are tiring and more often than not just a lazy attempt to destroy an argument with zero effort.

> but I have to say that these "where is the source" posts are tiring and more often than not just a lazy attempt to destroy an argument with zero effort.

Reviewing the literature is separate and distinct from entering into argumentation.

What is SMV?

sexual market value

From what I understand, things like testosterone just amplify what already exists.

Testosterone increases desire to maintain high social status.

If that can be achieved through aggression - a person going to do just that, if that is achieved through team play and compassion, the person would do it instead.

As Robert Sapolsky said, it is sad that in our society aggessive behaviour is the one that leads to success.

> Is it really a given that high testosterone leads to aggression?

I've spoken with researchers that actually administered testosterone to human subjects in experiments, and they found no effect: it doesn't seem to trigger aggression or violence, at least not in the short term. It probably is a bad idea to ascribe a range of complex behaviors to a single cause, and limit it to those behaviors as well.

Something like 99% of homicide and rape is perpetrated by males, and they have more T than females, so a naive analysis says yes.