Many people still think that testosterone will cause you to kill your parents and run over small woodland creatures. But paradoxically, it's often men with low testosterone levels that are moody, depressed, and even angry, while men with normal or high testosterone levels are generally sociable and gregarious.
Dr. Christina Wang of UCLA found that men with low T were likely to be snarkier and more aggressive than men with high T, but once the snarky ones received T replacement, their attitude and anger disappeared (1).
Improper usage (very high doses) of testosterone or steroids could elicit aggressive tendencies ("roid rage") in men that might be predisposed to such behavior. Likewise, socioeconomic status can play a role, too.
Experience (and a couple of studies) shows us that a good deal of societal misbehavior comes from men with high testosterone levels but low socioeconomic status. Men who are high in testosterone but also high in socioeconomic status can usually restrain themselves because they know they have more to lose.
- Wang C et al. Testosterone replacement therapy improves mood in hypogonadal men–a clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Oct;81(10):3578-83. PubMed.
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