Entre chien et Loup!

Breakthroughs in neuroscience show us how hormones affect the brain, influencing how we think and behave. Biology evolved over the millennia helped us to fight or flee and the same intuition helps our commercial sense and stock traders during bull or bear runs. As the testosterone levels rise like animals we are primed for a fight and our confidence and risk appetite increases. Volatile markets and losses triggered stress hormones in traders, making them sensitive to uncontrollability and uncertainty. We get butterflies in our stomachs and this makes our blood vessels constrict. It is like the sphincter or erector pili muscles that pump blood to make things bigger and turgid during excitement or like a cat which raises its fur when threatened. George Soros mentioned the onset of acute back pain that signaled to him that something was amiss in his portfolio, so bodies influence behavior and one can make or lose money. When, stocks crash, traders and investors are overwhelmed, by the stress hormone, cortisol. Testosterone and other hormones impair our judgment as sometimes we feel infallible which suspends our reason and we take on more risks. Anyone who has been in a high stress executive career will know how before an important conference or meeting their bodies undergo physiological changes. They begin to sweat, heart rate increases, pupils dilate, breathing is irregular and faster, this coupled with the adrenaline rush are all symptoms of fear. Jitterbugs, carbuncles, wind, periods, pussys, pancreas, panacea, paranoia, psychosis, pises, penis, punks, pernods et alii. Everyone marches to the men’s room/ toilet to exude the pent up fear – bowels liquefy, diarrhea and the stench of a slaughterhouse emanates. We think with our bodies as well as our brains and it proves that the same physiological responses we feel in doing any dangerous feat like skydiving, or hunting a wounded mountain lion come into play. The moment of metamorphoses is called the hour between dog and wolf or as stated in French “entre chien et loup”. It is a fascinating logic tracing the Hubris or Nemesis, overconfidence and downfall. – Joan Coates- The Hour between Dog and Wolf.