# I cannot believe you are actually making a 37 year old man on a business trip kick your ass. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 16, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625 "2010-05-16T09:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/101 "2010-05-17T18:28:57Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > \ > > It’s precisely the fact that this is not the case on the Internet that creates the Internet Toughguy, and allows assholes to roam free. Even on this very message board. What’s the opposite to The Internet Toughguy - The Internet Milquetoast, who thinks everything should be settled by a rousing game of speed chess? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/102 "2010-05-17T18:33:04Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > … what seems like a fair fight may look like aggravated assault … Or attempted murder, like pushing a guy backwards down a flight of stairs? > [@spark240](#): > > … Punch-and-run is contemptible. … How would you score the above on the contemptible scale? CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/103 "2010-05-17T18:42:47Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Both are wrong. According to the OP, smith looks something like [this](http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/quantum-of-solace-20080404022655207_640w.jpg). He _does_ look badass as a redhead. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/104 "2010-05-17T18:49:38Z")
You know what I hate? Sneak-bragging. That’s that thing where, you pretend to be casually discussing a topic, all the while, trying to work in all the ways you are awesome. “What’s your favorite color?” “Well, black, because that is the color of my bookcase which holds 500 books. I had more books, but had to _purge_, so I gave away 75% of my collection. Having had learned to read at 2 and a half according to my mom, I decided that my book case one day would be black. Also, since I read so fast that the words are really a blur, I would have to say gray is my favorite color also…since gray is the color of the blur. So, yeah…black and gray are my favorite colors.” It would be annoying if it weren’t hilarious. But sometimes, you just want to do some good old fashioned bragging. Like when someone says, “let’s talk about how cool our kids are!” and we can all join in to talk about Billy’s win in the soccer game, or Kisha’s win in the spelling bee. Those times, bragging doesn’t bother me, because it is just in honest fun…not sneak-bragging. I think the OP was just indulging in some good old fashioned honest bragging. He had a cool story to tell and wanted to tell it. I think it would have been a smidge more honest if he had put it in MPSIMS. He just had a story to tell and wanted to share it. He probably shouldn’t have put it in the Pit as if it were still upsetting him so much that he had to blow off steam. But other than that, I find it to be a much more honest form of bragging than we often get around here. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/105 "2010-05-17T18:56:32Z")
Defended your personal space? Check. Didn’t get a bloody nose or a shiner? Check. Didn’t spill your scotch? Check. Stayed out of jail? Check. Didn’t hook up with some girl who wasn’t your wife? Check. Embellished story so it would stay out of MPSIMS? Check. Angered other posters for said embellishments? Check. Sounds like a successful trip, IMHO. Just ease up on the embellishments a little and stick to the notion that if you value your personal space, then respect other people’s personal space…i.e.- keep your hands off of other people (even if they’re idiots) and stick to self-defense. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/106 "2010-05-17T19:23:40Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The problem is it’s hard to ignore someone while constantly having to keep an eye out that they don’t sucker punch you or have another friend around the corner. In this particular case, once he entered my space in a hostile manner, I felt it necessary to react. IMO nothing the OP said comes close to sufficient reason for initiating physical contact. I’ve been in a number of hotel bars, and am having a hard time imagining a situation where I could not have kept an eye on the people around me while I made a rapid exit. Hell, I probably would have apologized to the young idiot as I excused myself. If feeling generous, might have offered to buy him a drink. Initiating a fight simply brings too many negative possibilities to the table, as opposed to the numerous alternatives available. If I had acted as the OP, I would hope that I would later regret my actions, and feel embarrassed. Hell, makes me relieved that during my drinking days my general practice was to buy a bottle of gin and hole up in my room watching cable! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/107 "2010-05-17T19:25:47Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > What’s the opposite to The Internet Toughguy - The Internet Milquetoast, who thinks everything should be settled by a rousing game of speed chess? The Opposite is just another version of the Internet Toughguy. The person who masturbates furiously over every opportunity to be recreationally outraged at the idea that someone else might actually assert themselves in real life. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/108 "2010-05-17T19:35:26Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The Opposite is just another version of the Internet Toughguy. The person who masturbates furiously over every opportunity to be recreationally outraged at the idea that someone else might actually assert themselves in real life. AKA The White Knight. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/109 "2010-05-17T19:44:01Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The Opposite is just another version of the Internet Toughguy. The person who masturbates furiously over every opportunity to be recreationally outraged at the idea that someone else might actually assert themselves in real life. [Takes a break from furious masturbation to compose this post]We only wank off when the post goes like, “So all these fine bitches wanted my junk, and this one dude was jealous because they wanted my junk so bad and tried to pick a fight with me, then I totally kicked his ass, which made the bitches want my junk even more. Fuck yeah!” ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/110 "2010-05-17T20:52:21Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > You know what I hate? The thing is, the OP is sneak bragging. The title of the thing is “I cannot believe you are actually making a 37 year old man on a business trip kick your ass”, but there was no actual fight. **Ms. Mith** didn’t actually kick anybody’s ass. He shoved a guy. That’s it. There was no fight. Instead we get him talking about how all the ladies are hot for him on his business trip. Consider: > [@msmith537](#): > > I’m not interested in hitting on his little girlfriends (although they appear to be interested in me)…, so I make a point of talking to the girls in his group (who are now even more interested in me)… Another girl starts hitting on me and I basically had to flat out shut her down (I am in a serious relationship and do not wish to cheat, even though I could clearly get away with it)…Chicks seem to dig a guy who kicks ass.------------I’m really more of a lover than a fighter…I don’t feel like cheating on my girlfriend with some skanky barfly…Turning down sex doesn’t feel that great, but IMHO, it does feel a lot better than cheating. He’s not talking about the fight or kicking somebodiy’s ass (because, well, he didn’t actually _do_ anything). He just wants us to know how irresistible he is to the ladies. He is sneak bragging and it’s pathetic, because he neither fought nor did he get laid. Nothing happened, so what the fuck is he bragging about? Again, pathetic. And the line about “turning down sex” registers on my bullshitometer. It really sounds like it’s coming from the guy who tells all his friends “I could of had her” after some random chick just happens to smile at him. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/111 "2010-05-17T20:53:51Z")
You show me a man who is cool enough to assert himself in real life and I’ll show you a man who doesn’t wank off over it by posting about how cool he was for doing it on the Internet. Bonus points for when he asserts how all the 20-something cuties present wanted his 37 year old cock so bad they were fighting over it. I’m just surprised that the OP didn’t tell us all how he once had an awkward moment just to see how it feels or that he can speak French … in Russian. Stay thirsty, my friends. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/112 "2010-05-17T20:57:05Z")
My mom has a tatoo that says “son”. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/113 "2010-05-17T20:58:57Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The Opposite is just another version of the Internet Toughguy. The person who masturbates furiously over every opportunity to be recreationally outraged at the idea that someone else might actually assert themselves in real life. Then there’s the creepy guy who masturbates over Internet Toughguy, imagining \*himself \* putting loudmouthed whippersnappers in \*their \*place with a chest-butt, or perhaps just some passive-aggressive condescension… ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/114 "2010-05-17T21:14:48Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > He is \*\*sneak bragging \*\*and it’s pathetic, (bolding, mine) Yes! My term is catching on! I made that up! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/115 "2010-05-17T21:17:01Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You gotta be careful. It might be the one that carries a knife. I think they wrote a song about him awhile back. Just make sure he’s not spending like a sailor, and doesn’t have like four hotties forming a line to the right, and you’re probably good to go. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/116 "2010-05-17T21:18:26Z")
Could it be our boy’s done something rash? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/117 "2010-05-17T21:26:27Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > (bolding, mine) Yes! My term is catching on! I made that up! At least you aren’t _sneak_ bragging about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/118 "2010-05-17T21:27:18Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Yes! My term is catching on! I made that up! This is an example of unconcealed bragging. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/119 "2010-05-17T21:31:15Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > > [@Nzinga](#): > > > > Yes! My term is catching on! I made that up! > > This is an example of unconcealed bragging. We call that _ambush bragging_. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625/120 "2010-05-17T22:20:29Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > That’s a completely different scenario. Were that to happen, all bets would be off and an ass-kicking would be justified. Not the way I presented it. My experience has been that if one doesn’t shut this sort of situation down before leaving, turning ones back just makes Asshole worse. > [@](#): > > OP, on the other hand, didn’t even try to be the bigger man, just the tough guy. OP was drunk, both at the time and when he wrote the post. Some, if not all, of his possible desire to be the tough guy is probably booze fueled. OTOH, being the tough guy and being the bigger man are not necessarily contradictions. > [@](#): > > Nor is it “spineless,” as **Rand Rover** insinuated, to get up and walk away. It can be. Depends on what you choose to do when Asshole takes it as an indication of your being chicken. > [@](#): > > There’s no better way to defuse a guy itching for a fight than to laugh in his face, walk away, and not give him what he wants. Apparently, you have never been in a situation when laughing in Asshole’s face results in his becoming enraged at the slight on his “manhood”… BTW, this sort of problem isn’t limited to the male of the species. It may even be that it is more of a problem in females. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-believe-you-are-actually-making-a-37-year-old-man-on-a-business-trip-kick-your-ass/539625.md?page=7)