Actually, since male-pattern baldness is driven by testosterone (more accurately, a testosterone derivative called DHT), it makes sense that people have evolved to perceive baldness as masculine and dominant. In this case, baldness is a signifier -- a sort of subconscious code -- for a host of other traits that are seen as powerful.
Wiki actually has the complete opposite theory, baldness seems to convey a maturing and calming instead of power and dominance.
"One theory, advanced by Muscarella and Cunningham, suggests baldness came about in males through sexual selection as an enhanced signal of aging and social maturity, whereby aggression and risk-taking decrease and nurturing behaviours increase."
"A study done among South Koreans has shown most people rate balding men as less attractive, if these results generalize to other cultures, any mating benefit must target purely maternal instincts."
So maybe it's because you're ugly but domestic and perceived to be no real threat. Or maybe human nature is more then just animal instinct. Maybe I just wanted to go nananana and call you ugly while I ran my fingers through my head of hair. Maybe it's all of these things.
Matthew Inman used the characters from Breaking Bad for an in-depth analysis called the Proximity to Violence vs. Amount of Hair on One's Head
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/breaking_bad_hair
I think there's something to it about the active choice of a shaved head - I started going bald fairly early (around 18), and shaving my head really seemed to change people's perceptions of me for the better.
Of course, it could just be that I became more comfortable and confident after it.
Well part of that is that (if you do it right, too thin or lanky and you look like a cancer patient) purposely shaved bald looks far better then naturally thinning.
That it does look better probably helped with your comfort level and confidence.
There's a great interview with Patrick Stewart where he talks about his experience acclimating to baldness, I highly recommend it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOK-ZVJMaU
Men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine, dominant and, in some cases, to have greater leadership potential than those with longer locks or with thinning hair... Wow - my bald head makes me look more masculine. That's definitely a shocker.
Things change over time. I was talking to my father about the birth of the original (non racist) skin head movement in the UK. He said that the two enduring images of shaven heads in popular psyche, were of those in mental asylums, and people from concentration camps.
So initially it was about subverting something that was wildly seen as a mark of weakness and abuse. He said there were article and letters questioning why young men would allow themselves to appear like this, and it was at the time in no way seen as masculine.
Seems reasonable that bald people seems to be percieved more masculine, men as well man as women. Although I'm not sure if baldness makes those people more atractive. I think it's that they did something unusual. They gained more self confidence and people love self confidence.
In fact, I have dreadlocks and people like it, because I look healthy and self confident. I think it's even better than bald head. In XXI century agression is no longer advantage - charisma and inteligence are much more efficient these days.
However, a bit of masculine look may help women, they seem to look very atractive with no hair. Maybe not every woman, but I know women that looks good with no hair.
On the other hand, Stalin and Hitler both had full heads of hair, as did Pol Pot. Chavez looks like he has a good amount of hair, too, likewise Saddam Hussein. Pinochet and Kim Jong-Il both looked like they were thinning towards the ends of their lives, but didn't apparently feel the need to do much about it. I can't find much evidence about Gadaffi one way or the other, other than a few shots that suggest he was at least not going bald at the front (and certainly not the sides).
So all in all, it looks like responding to male pattern baldness by shaving one's head does not correlate especially well with becoming a dictator.
But then again, correlation is not causation, and that goes both ways.
[+] [-] jimmytucson|13 years ago|reply
My goal is to get to become so cynical that I only believe what I read in Dr. Seuss books.
[+] [-] awj|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jonnathanson|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mhurron|13 years ago|reply
"One theory, advanced by Muscarella and Cunningham, suggests baldness came about in males through sexual selection as an enhanced signal of aging and social maturity, whereby aggression and risk-taking decrease and nurturing behaviours increase."
"A study done among South Koreans has shown most people rate balding men as less attractive, if these results generalize to other cultures, any mating benefit must target purely maternal instincts."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgenic_alopecia
So maybe it's because you're ugly but domestic and perceived to be no real threat. Or maybe human nature is more then just animal instinct. Maybe I just wanted to go nananana and call you ugly while I ran my fingers through my head of hair. Maybe it's all of these things.
[+] [-] pohl|13 years ago|reply
Walter White by the end of season 4 - shaved head and a goatee - large and in charge.
[+] [-] thenomad|13 years ago|reply
Although I'm struggling to think of many more examples of hairless protagonists outside Star Trek.
[+] [-] kayge|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] EwanToo|13 years ago|reply
Of course, it could just be that I became more comfortable and confident after it.
[+] [-] mhurron|13 years ago|reply
That it does look better probably helped with your comfort level and confidence.
[+] [-] gadders|13 years ago|reply
What I want to know though is when will the US have a bald president? I always thought good hair was a pre-requisite.
[+] [-] dkokelley|13 years ago|reply
Eisenhower is probably the closest we've come to a bald president.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EisenhowerChiefofStaffPort...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1675631,00....
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] tomjen3|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ddellacosta|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zxcdw|13 years ago|reply
Or perhaps I'm just envious to those who can tolerate themselves as bald, and don't look like eggs. :)
[+] [-] superkvn|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ljf|13 years ago|reply
So initially it was about subverting something that was wildly seen as a mark of weakness and abuse. He said there were article and letters questioning why young men would allow themselves to appear like this, and it was at the time in no way seen as masculine.
[+] [-] codegeek|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] krollew|13 years ago|reply
In fact, I have dreadlocks and people like it, because I look healthy and self confident. I think it's even better than bald head. In XXI century agression is no longer advantage - charisma and inteligence are much more efficient these days.
However, a bit of masculine look may help women, they seem to look very atractive with no hair. Maybe not every woman, but I know women that looks good with no hair.
[+] [-] grandalf|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tomjen3|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] systematical|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] camus|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cafard|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] to3m|13 years ago|reply
So all in all, it looks like responding to male pattern baldness by shaving one's head does not correlate especially well with becoming a dictator.
But then again, correlation is not causation, and that goes both ways.