He’s Strong; That Means He Believes In War – Reading Nonverbals of Physical Strength
Christopher Philip
Research by Aaron Sell, Liana Hone and Nicholas Pound has linked men’s physical ability to fight, to tendencies to be aggressive and take part in conflict, as well as the believe in the utility of warfare.
The researchers note that fighting ability in males, is key when it comes to nonhuman species as it is fundamental in resolving disputes. Conflict in nature may arise due to food resources in short supply or access to females.
That being the case, fighting ability and the nonberbals behind them, has received little attention in humans.
However, the researchers reasoned that since fighting ability would have been relevant in our historical past, it is likely that male psychology and behaviour should be calibrated directly to men’s formidableness. In other words, as a man is more likely to win in physical combat due to his strength, he should display various policies and beliefs about using violence to solve problems.
The results of the study found that better fighters feel more entitled to better outcomes overall, that they use anger and aggression more frequently, and require less provocation in order to do so. They also carry self-favouring political attitudes, and believe in the usefulness of war.
Data on Action Stars
New data is presented in the study showing that among Hollywood actors, those whom were selected as actions stars to due to their physical strength were more likely to believe in the utility of warfare.
No doubt, other factors make good fighters including ability to respond rapidly to threats, estimate trajectory of thrown objects and resist blunt-force trauma.
However, the researchers correctly point out that “few of these traits will be more predicative of fighting ability than the differential capacity to apply force to an object or adversary—in other words, physical strength.”
When the study looked at action stars, it found that physical strength was correlated with positive opinions about war. The study found that even left-leaning actors, those whom we might expect to be against war, were actual more likely to believe in the utility of war if they were physically stronger.
Analysis showed that most of the actors were left-leaning. However, more than half (56%) were right-wing including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne Johnson (“the Rock”), and Charlton Heston. Results also showed that right-wing leanings were more common in action actors (56%), than dramatic actors (4.2%) as well as comedic actors (19%).
Though no mentioned by subjects in the study, other formidable right-leaning actors include James Earl Jones, Tom Selleck, LL Cool J, Lorenzo Lamas, Dean Cain, Mickey Rourke, Clint Walker, Clancy Brown, Chuck Conners, Ronald Reagan, “Hulk Hogan,” and Kurt Russell.
Further, left-leaning actors include, Nicholas Cage, Tom Cruise, Pierce Brosnan, and Keanu Reeves.
Making Predictions Based on Physical Strength
We must remind ourselves that while physical aggression has decline significantly in the past century, our minds evolved in a time when physical aggression and conflict was the norm, rather that the exception. Thus, our political leanings are driven by our primitive wiring which happens to correlate with our physique.
The stronger we are, the more likely we are to support rightwing politics, self-sufficiency and entitlements.
While physical strength does not necessarily cause these attitudes, they do offer us certain predictive powers.
In other words, should we see men with a powerful physique we might correctly assume certain qualities and attitudes about them.
So how might one judge a person holding war-preferences who’s prone to anger and aggression and by extension a lion’s share of resources?
Large upper body strength.
More than any other specific trait, upper body strength predicts ability to fight. Upper body strength predicts effective use of weapons including spears, bows, hand axes, clubs, and rocks. In fact, no primitive weapon has ever been found that is primarily propelled by lower-body strength.
So the message is quite simple – one can often gauge or predict more than a person’s fighting ability based on their upper body strength – one can also assess their attitudes about war and also their tendencies to use aggression and conflict to resolve disputes.
That being said, correlation does not equal causation. Just because someone is formidable, does not require them to be aggressive or right-leaning or believe in war, the data merely shows that there is a connection between these factors.
Image Credit: DVIDSHUB
Resources
Sell, Aaron; Liana S. E. Hone and Nicholas Pound. The Importance of Physical Strength to Human Males. Human Nature. 2019. 23:30–44. DOI 10.1007/s12110-012-9131-2