Women are more risk averse than men on average — at least that’s what research and received wisdom seem to suggest. Women take fewer risks when picking stocks, investing in venture capital, and making acquisitions, for example. There are various explanations for these differences in appetite for risk. The most common one holds  that in primitive societies men were forced to fight to gain status and to compete for positions of power. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to be caregivers. Another explanation suggests that men tend to have more sensation-seeking personalities, where risk is part of their enjoyment.