Wacky Facts by Agent K #10: Did You Know There's a Scientific Explanation Why Women Roll Their Eyes More Than Men?

If you are a woman, you are probably "rolling it off" every time you feel like you don't have to say a word to express your feelings or mood. A perfectly timed eye roll is your superpower and everyone around you knows that very well. 

On the other hand, if you happen to be a man who's courageous enough to still flirt in the real world and in places like bars, movie theaters, public libraries, coffeehouses and so on, then you have probably been "whipped" several times by the truly MAGIC eye roll of a beautiful woman. And truth be told, I would never replace real world's flirting with the "online dating scene" of the 21st century and miss out moments like this every time I ask for a phone number. 

If you, however, think that all this just happens coincidentally, then you are sadly mistaken. At least, that's what science tells us!

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Believe it or not, science proposes that women around the world started the "eye rolling movement " as a way to demonstrate their prowess over other women. It's quite possible that many feminists won't agree with science's conclusions on the matter, but scientists insist that women started the whole thing as a defense mechanism to terrorize their female antagonists. 

In 2013, Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt from the University of Ottawa, Canada, published a paper and explained that the sexual selection among women has mainly two bases: on the one hand self-promotion, and on the other, the put-down of other female antagonists. The study mentioned among other things: 

 "Indirect aggression includes behaviors such as criticizing a competitor’s appearance, spreading rumors about a person’s sexual behavior and social exclusion. Human females have a particular proclivity for using indirect aggression, which is typically directed at other females, especially attractive and sexually available females, in the context of intrasexual competition for mates. Indirect aggression is an effective intrasexual competition strategy. It is associated with a diminished willingness to compete on the part of victims and with greater dating and sexual behavior among those who perpetrate the aggression." 

In other words, women have traditionally used indirect methods of aggressiveness, simply because they are not as physically strong and tough (or stupid I may add) as men to go to war. So, every time a woman  felt threat or competition from another female, all she had to do in order to verify her "don't mess with me" status, was a simple eye roll. Just like that! 

Interestingly, the same study suggests that even physiologically women are more prone to roll their eyes, as their  nervous system is more sensitive than the average man's fight-or-flight response, also known as the stress response. 

So, dear fellas, next time you ask for her number and you get the "eye roll," don't be totally discouraged; she may be competing with another woman over you. Or then again, if you keep insisting, you may end up having her drink too. 

References:

Do human females use indirect aggression as an intrasexual competition strategy? 

Evolution Explains Why Women Love Rolling Their Eyes So Much

Science Has Explained Why Women Roll Their Eyes So Much

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