Study Supports The Theory That Men Are Idiots - ScienceDaily

Home » Why Men Are So Stupid » Study Supports The Theory That Men Are Idiots - ScienceDaily

Maybe your like

Science News from research organizations Study supports the theory that men are idiots Date: December 15, 2014 Source: BMJ-British Medical Journal Summary: The theory that men are idiots and often do stupid things is backed up by new evidence. The findings are actually based on an analyses of sex differences in idiotic behavior. Worthy candidates of idiocy include a man stealing a ride home by hitching a shopping trolley to the back of a train, only to be dragged two miles to his death before the train was able to stop; and the terrorist who posted a letter bomb with insufficient postage stamps and who, on its return, unthinkingly opened his own letter. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY

Sex differences in risk seeking behaviour, emergency hospital admissions, and mortality are well documented. Males are more likely to be admitted to an emergency department after accidental injuries, more likely to be admitted with a sporting injury, and more likely to be involved in a fatal road traffic collision.

However, little is known about sex differences in idiotic risk-taking behaviour. So researchers in north east England decided to test "male idiot theory" (MIT) that many of the differences in risk seeking behaviour may be explained by the observation that men are idiots and idiots do stupid things.

They reviewed data on idiotic behaviours demonstrated by winners of the Darwin Award over a 20 year period (1995 to 2014), noting the sex of the winner. To qualify, nominees must improve the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race using astonishingly stupid methods.

Worthy candidates include a man stealing a ride home by hitching a shopping trolley to the back of a train, only to be dragged two miles to his death before the train was able to stop; and the terrorist who posted a letter bomb with insufficient postage stamps and who, on its return, unthinkingly opened his own letter.

Of the 413 Darwin Award nominations, 332 were independently verified and confirmed by the Darwin Awards Committee. Of these, 14 were shared by male and female nominees -- usually overly adventurous couples in compromising positions -- leaving 318 valid cases for statistical testing.

Of these 318 cases, 282 Darwin Awards were awarded to males, and just 36 awards given to females. Males thus made up 88.7% of Darwin Award winners, and this sex difference is highly statistically significant, say the authors.

This finding is entirely consistent with male idiot theory (MIT) and supports the hypothesis that men are idiots and idiots do stupid things.

However, this study has limitations, add the authors. For example, women may be more likely to nominate men for a Darwin Award or the sex difference may reflect differences in alcohol use between men and women.

Despite this, it is puzzling that males are willing to take such unnecessary risks -- simply as a rite of passage, in pursuit of male social esteem, or solely in exchange for "bragging rights," say the authors.

They believe male idiot theory deserves further investigation, and, "with the festive season upon us, we intend to follow up with observational field studies and an experimental study -- males and females, with and without alcohol -- in a semi-naturalistic Christmas party setting," they conclude.

  • RELATED TOPICS
  • RELATED TERMS

Story Source:

Materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

  1. B. A. D. Lendrem, D. W. Lendrem, A. Gray, J. D. Isaacs. The Darwin Awards: sex differences in idiotic behaviour. BMJ, 2014; 349 (dec10 20): g7094 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.g7094

Cite This Page:

  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
BMJ-British Medical Journal. "Study supports the theory that men are idiots." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141211210038.htm>. BMJ-British Medical Journal. (2014, December 15). Study supports the theory that men are idiots. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141211210038.htm BMJ-British Medical Journal. "Study supports the theory that men are idiots." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141211210038.htm (accessed December 22, 2025).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily RELATED STORIES   Print   Email   Share

Breaking

this hour
  • A Hidden Health Crisis in Roman Britain
  • Fossilized Dinosaur Eggs Act as Timekeepers
  • Scientists Crack a Superconductor Mystery
  • Scientists Map the Universe’s Dark Side
  • Old Air Samples Show Nature Is Changing
  • This Strange “Mushroom” Is Not a Fungus
  • NASA Catches Glimpse of an Interstellar Comet
  • Titan May Not Have a Hidden Ocean After All
  • Deaths of Despair Rising Before Opioids
  • Sugar Substitutes May Harm Your Liver
this week SCIENCE & SOCIETY Popular Culture Travel and Recreation Surveillance BUSINESS & INDUSTRY Travel and Recreation Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology and Bioengineering EDUCATION & LEARNING Intelligence Environmental Awareness Neural Interfaces

Strange & Offbeat

  SCIENCE & SOCIETY Scientists Finally Uncovered Why the Indus Valley Civilization Collapsed Scientists Uncover a Volcanic Trigger Behind the Black Death A Backwards Bible Map That Changed the World BUSINESS & INDUSTRY First Operating System for Quantum Networks Sometimes, When Competitors Collaborate, Everybody Wins Why Are Most Companies Failing to Benefit from AI? It's About the People Not the Tech EDUCATION & LEARNING How Gaslighting Tricks the Brain Into Questioning Reality Children as Young as Five Can Navigate a 'Tiny Town' What Happens in the Brain When Your Mind Blanks Toggle navigation Menu   SD
  • SD
    • Home Page
    • Top Science News
    • Latest News
  • Home
    • Home Page
    • Top Science News
    • Latest News
  • Health
    • View all the latest top news in the health sciences, or browse the topics below: Health & Medicine
      • Allergy
      • Cancer
      • Cold and Flu
      • Diabetes
      • Heart Disease
      • ... more topics
      Mind & Brain
      • ADD and ADHD
      • Alzheimer's
      • Headaches
      • Intelligence
      • Psychology
      • ... more topics
      Living Well
      • Parenting
      • Child Development
      • Stress
      • Nutrition
      • Fitness
      • ... more topics
  • Tech
    • View all the latest top news in the physical sciences & technology, or browse the topics below: Matter & Energy
      • Chemistry
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Nanotechnology
      • Physics
      • Solar Energy
      • ... more topics
      Space & Time
      • Black Holes
      • Dark Matter
      • Extrasolar Planets
      • Solar System
      • Space Telescopes
      • ... more topics
      Computers & Math
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Mathematics
      • Quantum Computers
      • Robotics
      • Virtual Reality
      • ... more topics
  • Enviro
    • View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences, or browse the topics below: Plants & Animals
      • Agriculture and Food
      • Biology
      • Biotechnology
      • Extinction
      • Microbes and More
      • ... more topics
      Earth & Climate
      • Climate
      • Earthquakes
      • Geology
      • Global Warming
      • Pollution
      • ... more topics
      Fossils & Ruins
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • Dinosaurs
      • Evolution
      • Paleontology
      • ... more topics
  • Society
    • View all the latest top news in the social sciences & education, or browse the topics below: Science & Society
      • Arts & Culture
      • Economics
      • Privacy Issues
      • Public Health
      • Sports
      • ... more topics
      Business & Industry
      • Computers & Internet
      • Energy & Resources
      • Engineering
      • Medical Technology
      • Transportation
      • ... more topics
      Education & Learning
      • Creativity
      • Educational Psychology
      • Infant & Preschool
      • Learning Disorders
      • STEM Education
      • ... more topics
  • Quirky
    • Top News
    • Human Quirks
    • Odd Creatures
    • Bizarre Things
    • Weird World
Keyword:Search

Tag » Why Men Are So Stupid