Why does this happen

Guys seem to regularly be the ones who seek to one up the other. Part of the dude culture they have created for themselves.

I've actually heard before (no idea of the legitimacy) that this is the difference between how men talk versus how women talk. Men talk to prove their status (e.g. show that they're more knowledgeable on any topic), but women talk to create emotional connections. And this is part of the disconnect between women who'd prefer someone to just listen to them versus a man who wants to offer a solution.

And, anecdotal, but I was raised mostly by my brother and I tend to talk like every conversation is a competition. I've had to train myself to just stop talking after, "Oh, I'm so sorry that happened" and not feel like it's a hollow gesture despite how earnest I feel.

/r/TwoXChromosomes Thread Parent