It is common knowledge that women have more empathy than men. I know many women wonder what it would be like if men could feel what we feel just once. Well girls, there is a way for that to happen. The hormone responsible for empathy is oxytocin. Both men and women have it, but women have more which enhances our empathetic response.

But now, the wish that men can feel what we feel can be fulfilled with oxytocin spray. In a recent experiment involving 48 men and 26 women, it was found that a nasal misting of oxytocin spray allowed men an unusual capacity for empathy. Initially both groups were given two tests. One test required the use of social cues using facial expressions to give the right answers in a game. The second test gave the participants scenarios and asked them to rate how emotionally moved they were. Women scored well on both tests. The men scored well on the first test using social cues but did not do well when they had to respond emotionally. However, when they were given the spray they scored equally as well as the women. They also did better when learning tasks that involved social cues. Unfortunately the spray only lasted two hours, but something is better than nothing.

The spray is not commercially available right now, but in the future may be quite helpful. If you take the man in your life to a sad movie, with one spray you may not be crying alone anymore!