> [Social norms have] ... become (and pardon the crudeness) just another societal dick-measuring contest ... It's fascinating. Watching societal norms take hold

> [Social norms have] ... become (and pardon the crudeness) just another societal dick-measuring contest ... It's fascinating. Watching societal norms take hold. It is fascinating, but these norms are crucial to meeting and interacting with new people. Even if you disagree with some social norms, if you don't understand them and the positions behind them, then you can't effectively communicate with new people you interact with. Saying, "you heard X today, total BS" is far superior than saying "what is X?" Social norms allow folks who have never met to still know each other to some degree. They are not terribly helpful with building meaningful relationships (eg close friends, etc), which is why so many dislike them as they seem superficial, which they are. However, they are instrumental in building early relationships and trust with someone who is unfamiliar. If you think of norms more as a tool to help you connect with folks that would otherwise be strangers, and less as a "dick-measure contest", they seem lest distasteful, even beneficial.