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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007Does this paragraph make sense to you?
On one hand, this passage below implies that testosterone is bad for you ("detrimental health effects"). Also, it interferes with the immune system. However, men with high levels of testosterone are "strong and healthy." Isn't this a contradiction or an error? This article comes from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16444786/ ""Testosterone is necessary for development, but can also have detrimental health effects. It has been shown, for example, to interfere with the body's immune response, so men who are able to maintain high levels of the hormone are typically strong and healthy - traits women would want to pass on to their progeny."" > On one hand, this passage below implies that testosterone is bad for > you ("detrimental health effects"). Also, it interferes with the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > maintain high levels of the hormone are typically strong and healthy > - traits women would want to pass on to their progeny."" It means (to me) that men who can tolerate a high testosterone level (with benefits for development) must also be endowed with an excellent immune system which still functions well despite interference by the testosterone. On balance, therefore, they are indeed "strong and healthy".  SignatureLes Les Danks writes: > It means (to me) that men who can tolerate a high testosterone level (with > benefits for development) must also be endowed with an excellent immune > system which still functions well despite interference by the testosterone. > On balance, therefore, they are indeed "strong and healthy". Agreed. But I had to think about it too; the writer has, as they would have said when I was in school, skipped a step. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "Computers may be very, very fast, msb@vex.net | but they aren't very, very smart." -- after Steve Summit >On one hand, this passage below implies that testosterone is bad for >you ("detrimental health effects"). Also, it interferes with the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >maintain high levels of the hormone are typically strong and healthy >- traits women would want to pass on to their progeny."" It can be said also for water. Good for you yet can also be detrimental. > It can be said also for water. > Good for you yet can also be detrimental. DHMO. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "group this in post-top usually don't we" msb@vex.net | -- Mike Lyle > This article comes from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16444786/ > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > maintain high levels of the hormone are typically strong and healthy > - traits women would want to pass on to their progeny."" 1. The first sentence is banal and almost meaningless. You could say the same about salt or water. 2. The theme of the source article is sexual selection (what women want, and the supposed reason.) The second sentence here mentions (1) a hormone, (2) the immune response and (3) heredity: but nowhere in the article is any of these three physically measurable features linked specifically to what women want or the supposed reason. So the language of the paragraph breaks no rules and offers no difficulty: the whole article says rather less than its author pretends: but the author does not pretend to much, cf. "mating strategies . . . might have to do with their genes, but could also have something to do with ours." SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |
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