Is It Me or Is It My Testosterone?

Conversation with Mary-Jo the other night:

Karl: I heard from my friend Arthur today. He emailed me a couple of new songs he recorded. I told him about our blog and he posted an interesting comment with a quote from Gibbon.

Mary-Jo: That's nice. How are Jane and Sam?

Karl: Uh, I dunno. Fine, I guess.

Mary-Jo: You haven't spoken to Arthur in months, and you didn't ask about his family?

Karl: Uh, no. But he didn't ask about you, either. We're men. That's the way we are. We talk about our interests, not personal stuff.

Mary-Jo: No, that's the way you are, not men in general. I hear the men at my work talking about their families all the time.

Karl: Well, that's different . . . [followed by an awkward and unconvincing attempt to fabricate reasons why that would be different]

So what about it? Is this a genuine difference between men and women (as socialized in our society), or are men like Arthur and me just self-absorbed narcissists? (I realize that the two options are not mutually exclusive.)

Your opinions are hereby solicited.