When in pairs or in groups, guys can be jerks...

Not to sound like Forrest Gump, but my mama always said that when guys are with other guys, they can be jerks. I guess I've known that for quite some time, but I kind of figured (hoped) that these tendencies would slowly dissipate as they age and (gulp) mature. But, that's not always the case, I guess.

I hung out with some friends last week. When we were talking one-on-one, things were fine. They actually listened, showed concern, and acted like what I view a friend to be like. But, once they were surrounded by other males, then they suddenly felt the need to show off their "manliness" and act like a complete jerk. So, what's the reasoning behind this and especially as we grow older. I can understand this behavior in teenagers more so than adults. I mean, in the adolescent/pubescent years, one is experiencing heavy changes throughout their life, on the physical and emotional level. One is apt to experimenting with certain things, out of curiosity or to perhaps fit in and they're constantly trying to find themselves, their own identity. I'd HOPE that the need to fit in would diminish after they find themselves and that their identity would be more in grasp than it had been 10 years prior. But, what do I know?

While it seems that the potential good escalates with each and every head in a situation, the potential bad escalates as well.