‘Buzz’ is an Attribute that typifies many younger (under-35) males. Not all of them of course – but it is atypical of older males and most females.

Buzz espousers like to take risks - sometimes consciously, sometimes without thinking too much about something that seems fun to do at the time. Jackass and similar TV programmes in which young men do crazy stunts that often inflict pain are extreme examples of the types of behaviours that are driven by this values orientation.

It isn’t the actual pain that drives this behaviour; it is the possibility that the pain that is expected won’t be as bad as it could be. There is a definite sense of immortality involved in this approach to life. The notion of dying or being severely disabled isn’t as real to them as the expected ‘rush’ that comes from survival in dangerous situations.

This approach to life is an adventure to be lived until satisfied. Most of the young men who adopt this orientation to life curtail their more extreme activities by the time they reach their late twenties or early thirties. They may cut back on their active search for further adventure but they will still be passively attracted to activities undertaken by others. They may not be X-Games competitors, or even participants in the sports, but they will be thrilled by the extreme behaviours.

They want to keep the stimulation of the dangerous going for as long as they can. Opportunities may decline as age and work and family commitments take more of their time, but Buzz espousers don’t give up the adrenalin high – even though it may be more vicarious than actual.

 

This Attribute correlates highly with the Bender Attribute which indicates this is a values level drive rather than just a ‘lad’s’ search for something cool to do. The Buzz espouser is likely to push the boundaries not just in his recreational life but also in his business life. Bending the rules is okay as long as you don’t get caught. This can lead to people being creative and innovative - something valued in today’s markets where first mover advantage can translate into millions of pounds of profit.

The flip side of an acknowledged willingness to bend the rules is that in some situations this can lead to the types of practices that clearly break compliance or best practice rules designed to avoid risk but can lead to great rewards as long as they are not discovered. The whole value chain that created the financial crash of 2008/9 was a function of many of the people involved knowing the risks of their participation but choosing to go for the buzz and hoping that they wouldn’t get caught.

Another aspect of these people is their idea of what is dangerous and therefore a buzz. It isn’t just their individual pursuit of excitement, where only their own health is at risk. Thoughts about social disorder excite them. Thinking about ‘what might happen if…’ and the disruption that could occur if the social fabric of neighbourhoods and communities was ripped apart is something that gives them a buzz.

Buzz espousers say they would enjoy being in an urban riot. The thrill of the danger involved in law-breaking on a mass scale is, for them, part of the excitement of life – not a political statement or an indication of disaffected anomie. They will riot because it is fun - because a buzz–a-day keeps boredom away.