I’ve seen memes about why women live longer than men. Typically, it features men performing stunts jumping off rooftops, scaling tall structures without the benefit of any kind of harness or attempting to ride bikes across treacherous gaps. The big idea is that men take far more physical risks than is really necessary, and that these risks decrease their life expectancies. When I see these images, I get the joke, but I also wonder how often this behavior really does occur.

Some men do actually go after risky situations just to test if they can handle them. They may not view this as risky or as a choice. It might be boredom, peer pressure or a need to show off. Sometimes it is for attention. Sometimes it is just a habit. Granted, the stakes here are higher, injury or death. Even if not all men are like this, the pattern happens often enough that people spot it right away.

There’s a cultural side, too. There is an encouragement, often explicit to be brave and to not worry what people think or what will happen next. This can result in choices that prioritise something other than long-term safety. That can impact the way men drive, wield tools or machines, or react in new settings. Over time, that adds up.