Why do guys turn into idiots around each other?

[Roll]

I never understood it. I was always disgusted by the testosterone fueled competitions and stunts, and even just the general dialogue when around a group of guys always made me feel very uncomfortable and out of place. I had not even really considered this in light of my recent revelations, but it makes perfect sense I suppose.

  I beg to disagree Ashley. Mushrooms are delicious. Especially sauteed in butter with garlic, salt, and cracked pepper with a dash of white wine.

Bon appétit,
    Laurie

Don't stop with a dash! Use a full cup and let the wine cook down! So good with some steak or in a dish like tetrazini.

Another great method of preparation is "bronzed", which is a sort of enhanced version of the style you find in Japanese steak houses. Sautee the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, until they shrink just a little bit. Then add some soy sauce. Keep the heat on high (unless you have a really good pan and stove and they are just blackening), let them sear in the soy sauce for about half a minute, stir like mad, then sear, stir, etc. You want them cooked down fairly small, with a rich brown coating from the soy cooked on. After the first few sears if they are fully reduced and not quite bronzed, you can reduce the heat and let them and let them sit to get some final "caramelization" (it's not really caramelizing, but it looks like it).

[Artesia]

Car surfing is easier to explain if all participants wear antlers.

Personally, I thought it would make more sense in a werewolf costume and a letterman's jacket.

Points for anyone who gets that movie reference.  Need a hint?  Scroll down a touch:











Michael J. Fox was in it.

[MaryT]

If it's any consolation, guys turn into even bigger idiots when they are around girls.

I've never tried lighting a match in an outdoor toilet, to reduce the smell, but I don't think that I would dare with all that methane around.

[Julia1996]

If it's any consolation, guys turn into even bigger idiots when they are around girls.

I've never tried lighting a match in an outdoor toilet, to reduce the smell, but I don't think that I would dare with all that methane around.

I've seen that first hand with my brothers friends. It's another weird guy thing. I'm glad they consider me female but acting like muscle headed baboons is hardly the way to impress me or any woman. It's certainly not a turn on. Sometimes it's like I'm at the gorilla habitat at the zoo.

[Kylo]

Perhaps some guys are just idiots, and there are some of us who don't act like idiots around anybody because we're not desperate to impress or terrified of losing face.

[Andrea Pelloti]

I just got back from my wife's village in Portugal where they have just held their annual traditional wine festival.  Lasts a week, party till 4am, everybody drinking Moscatel (like spicy sherry) by the bottle and getting totally ratted.  I digress really.

This is a traditional festival not something developed to take advantage of tourism.  The locals are all there.  Virtually everyone and those who live away come back for that week on holiday.

One of the traditions it that they barracade on street in the village with metal barriers with just the footpath around the sides and of course the ends being the ends of the road.  They cover the street in 6 inches of sand and sawdust.  at 12am ish (midnight) a lot of the village will gather there (the rest of the festival is still open so lots of people are still partying elsewhere) but the main contingent of those that gather around this temporary enclosure are the teen to mid twenties age group.  Groups of boys, Groups of girls, couples etc.

They will stand on the barriers which are circa 6ft high waiting.  And then the raging bull is released from it's transport box in one corner and eyes up all the "brave" lads sitting atop or clinging to the outside of the barriers.  The noise, cheering, "encouragement" fills the air while the bull charges at different points of the barrier and the people quickly jump off the barriers.

Then the boys/young men/young 20s will jump in and race across the street behind the bull quickly climbing and jumping off the opposite side.  The girls will cheer and applaud and encourage more and more of this and within 15 minutes there will be 3 or 4 crossing at every opportunity.  The bull is changed each half hour.  People come and go.  This carries on for a couple of hours each night.

Like I say it is traditional.  It isn't something new.  Like pre-historic tests of strength and bravery.  The "coming of age" things.  Crazy stuff.

I did silly things when I was a kid.  Not as much as other lads did but then I was always a bit more of a with the crowd but not really into what they do sort of kid.

So thats my take.  These things that almost all boys (often encouraged by peers as well as girls or the prospect of girls) do.  It is a bravado/bravery/coming of age thing.  Young people are always described as thinking they are invincible.

Similar to the over drinking or drug taking.  "Did you have a good night mate?"  "Erm I can't remember any of it!"  "Good lad, you know it makes sense, cracking night" yet no-one can remember the night.

p.s. I didn't jump over to impress my wife.  I was 30 and much too sensible to do something that dangerous.  My wife on the other hand did encourage me to have a go.  Not just Men/boys that are silly.

[Kendra]

> My wife on the other hand did encourage me to have a go.  Not just Men/boys that are silly.

Perhaps she is supportive and perceived (right or wrong) it's something you may have wanted to join and didn't want to be the one to hold you back.  She didn't push you over the barricade. 

[MaryT]

My wife on the other hand did encourage me to have a go.  Not just Men/boys that are silly.

Perhaps she knew you wouldn't and was just teasing you.  I'll bet that she would have been horrified if you had actually jumped in.

[Andrea Pelloti]

you are giving her too much credit. lol.

Me on the other hand am adept at the "whistle, whistle, Is it that time already, lets go back down for a beer" tactic.

[Paige]

I'm guessing this is caused by peer pressure and seeking an adrenaline rush.   Either way, it does seem to correlate with testosterone.  I think caving to peer pressure is common in males and females.  They just do it in different ways.

I would be interested to know though if many MTFs have loss their desire for adrenaline as their testosterone decreased and conversely whether FTMs desire for adrenaline increased the more their testosterone increased.

Take care,
Paige

[Kylo]

whether FTMs desire for adrenaline increased the more their testosterone increased.

I used to be more argumentative and threat-aware which were both correlated with adrenaline for me. I feel like I took a chill drug since HRT.

Although I do more technically dangerous activities lately, I don't get much of a rush from any of it. I'm methodical with it, that's about it. Desire for a rush? Neh. If anything I desire to feel relaxed. I suppose it's possible I do seek out more dangerous activities because there's an element of the unknown and of risk, but the testosterone prevents them from feeling dangerous? I know they are, but I definitely don't 'feel' like I'm off to do something risky.

Tomorrow I'm heading out for some diving and the recent weather washed many thousands of Portuguese man o' war jellyfish to the region. I don't particularly want to encounter any, but they're not stopping me getting out there, etc.