"[F]or those of us who survive puberty, being an asshole is generally limited to minor idiocies like proving that your dick won't fit through a toilet-paper tube, or ordering the meal in French just to prove to her that you can pronounce it (whether you can or not). If we all stayed as stupid as we are when we're young, the species wouldn't continue breeding very long. Despite the reputation most infantrymen get, I know perfectly well that women are one hell of a lot smarter than men. (I can prove it -- act like you did when you were seventeen, and see how many second dates you get.)" -- Randy Barnes, protagonist and narrator of Sleipnir, by Linda Evans (1994, Baen Books, Riverdale, NY; ISBN: 0-671-87594-9)